Author

Mike Gusky

You’re Always Under Construction

Compete with your current self to become your future self.

Michael Gusky
ConvergenceLifePersonal Development

You’re Always Under Construction

by Mike Gusky

This was my first post on #JTC back in January of 2011. My plan as I re-energize and re-launch this blog is to edit, update and publish prior posts every Thursday (#TBT). As I read through this one, I honestly couldn’t think of a single thing to change. I believe I am much better than I was in 2011 at balancing life and work by using the convergence techniques but as this post reminds me, there is always room for improvement. The journey is never complete. You are always under construction. What would you add or change? 

NO ONE IS PERFECT

Have you ever heard the saying “No one is perfect”?  Is there any truer statement out there?

This , however, should not be an excuse for complacence or procrastination and conversely should not be a reason for depression or self pity.  No one is, or ever will be, perfect.

Everyone can strive to be better!

BEST PRACTICE

In the business and manufacturing world there is a commonly used buzz word/phrase – “Best Practice.”  It is used to describe a technique, method, process, or activity deemed most effective at achieving a particular outcome by someone.  That someone is usually either the person that developed the method or a person (with a high position in the company) who has been deceived by that person to believe it is the best method with little to no backup or analysis.

I have always disliked this phrase as it leads you to believe that whatever is being referred to as the best practice is perfect or “the best”.  This is never true, there is always room for improvement and many times there is actually a better practice with less campaigning right in front of your face.

How much, how fast, and just plain HOW it can be improved is up to the person or organization.  IT IS UP TO YOU!

NEXT PRACTICE

I prefer the term “Next Practice.”  Both for the current method as well as the innovation underway to develop a genuinely new and better approach or method.  I realize it isn’t exactly intuitive as the term for the current practice but when used this way it reminds us that there is a next practice out there.  There is room for improvement.  Always!

The trick or the true question is should I/we focus time and energy on improving the specific method, process or activity in question or are there other next practices in much greater need of improvement?  Where is your focus best applied?

THE JOURNEY TO CONVERGENCE

Identifying that area in need of focus and chronicling the Journey of bringing all areas in balance is exactly what The Journey to Convergence (#JTC) project is about.

I have had great success identifying and applying this focus to the “right” next practice in my career but quite honestly not so much in my total life.  Things like health/fitness, family, social activity, etc. have continuously taken a back seat to work, work, and more work.  Its time to focus and innovate the right next practices in the right areas while maintaining the next practices that currently don’t need focus……Yet.

I hope you will join, learn, and share with me on this journey.

We as individuals , organizations, and societies  are and should be eternally UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

Will you join me on this journey?

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Goal Setting: Re-Imagined

BY RECORDING YOUR DREAMS AND GOALS ON PAPER, YOU SET IN MOTION THE PROCESS OF BECOMING THE PERSON YOU MOST WANT TO BE. PUT YOUR FUTURE IN GOOD HANDS - YOUR OWN.

Mark Victor Hansen
ConvergenceLifePersonal Development

Goal Setting: Re-Imagined

by Mike Gusky

If you Google “Goal Setting” you will get ~399 million results. It is, obviously, a very popular topic yet I find that very few people I meet have set and documented any goals in their life nor have they planned the steps necessary to meet those desires or dreams. If they have attempted goal setting they have very likely set goals that were too aggressive or unrealistic. They then failed to plan the steps needed to achieve those goals which led to failure and eventual abandonment. If you read through some of the content out there on goal setting you will often find a push to “Set Aggressive Goals.” I feel this can be misconstrued and executed as “Overly Optimistic Goals” that result in failure and disappointment. I by no means believe we should set goals that are not challenging, but there is a middle ground here. Maybe it’s the term “Goal Setting” that needs changed or updated.

Joy Setting instead of Goal Setting

I think goal setting needs updated. Goal setting needs to be re-imagined. It is an important tool that can help anyone improve their journey and overall happiness but it is stale and tired. Why not set attainable targets that result in joy throughout the process vs. stress and disappointment. Let’s talk about #joysetting.

THE ONLY IMPOSSIBLE JOURNEY IS THE ONE YOU NEVER BEGIN. ~Tony Robbins

S.M.A.R.T.(E.R.)

I really did not want to use the S.M.A.R.T. acronym. Acronyms and buzz words that are overly used in the business world really leave a bad taste in my mouth. I can’t count the number of times I have rolled my eyes hearing someone bring this old acronym up in a meeting or conference but there is really no way to discuss Goal Joy Setting without it. It works. It is generally accepted that the SMART acronym was first written down in 1981 by George T. Doran in Spokane Washington.  There are plenty of variants for each letter in this acronym. Here are a few:

  • S – Specific or Significant
  • M – Measurable or Meaningful
  • A – Attainable, Action-Oriented, Achievable or Assignable
  • R – Relevant, Rewarding, or Realistic
  • T – Time-bound or Trackable

If I am going to use this acronym I have to re-imagine it as well. It is just as stale and tired as Goal Setting in general.  Joy Setting will be S.M.A.R.T.E.R. (Of course, there really is not much left that you can call new or original anymore, Google “SMARTER Goals” and you’ll get ~61 Million results)

S – Specific

The first step in joy setting is to set a target that is specific – very specific. The more specific you are about the target, the easier it is to identify the steps needed to accomplish it. You cannot be vague and say you want to make more money or lose more weight. How much more money do you want to make? How much weight do you want to lose? Set as specific of a target as possible and never be afraid to be too specific.

M – Meaningful

For the purpose of personal joy setting we are going to use “Meaningful” for the letter M. If we were goal setting in the workplace I would lean more towards “Measurable” so that those measurements could be analyzed to determine next steps and goals. Set targets that are meaningful enough to you that you’ll do what it takes to achieve them. Write out what your target means to you and make sure it is something important.

A – Achievable

Here is where I believe Joy Setting will be a bit different than standard Goal Setting. Almost every piece of content or quote out there about goal setting really pushes for very aggressive goals. “A” could easily stand for “Aggressive.” Now, I believe anything is possible. My wife will attest that “Possibilities” is my favorite word but we need to be realistic about the time and energy it will take to reach certain possibilities. Time is our most precious asset. You can not make more time……yet, so you have to allocate your time wisely.  For example, I believe it is absolutely possible to have six pack abs even as I approach 50 but it would take a level of focus and time working out (and possibly a little cosmetic surgery) that I am simply not willing to do, so it would not be an achievable target for me to set. Set targets you can actually achieve (in a set time frame) so that you build momentum and experience JOY! They are NOT to be easy, but they need to be attainable and joyful. You can broaden the target into much greater hopes and dreams down the road.

 R – Rewarding

I am choosing “Rewarding” for “R.” How else is the journey going to be joyful unless the target is rewarding? The target needs to be in  harmony with what you actually want out of life. This is the key to joy setting. We want targets that are rewarding so that the journey is joyful. Back to the six pack abs example, it would not be enjoyable for me to be working out 2-3 hours a day while measuring every calorie in order to achieve that target. The journey is more important than the target, make yours joyful and rewarding.

T – Time-Bound

Set a date for when you plan to achieve your target. I like to break mine down to at least 3-month progress points that can be reviewed daily, weekly, or monthly dependent on the target. If losing 40 pounds in a year is your longer term target then the first 3-month target would be to lose 10 pounds. You could review your progress towards that 10 pounds every month looking for ~3 to 4 pound losses. You would not want to review your progress for that target daily or you would drive yourself mad and most likely become frustrated. The target may change either because your focus has changed,  or your speed towards the target has changed. At the end of the 3 months you will review your progress and set the next target. The key is to enjoy the process and journey.

E – Energizing

Admittedly very similar to “Rewarding” in the “R”, I feel we need to ensure our targets are energizing and I need an “E” to re-imagine this. 🙂 Seriously, the difference here is that keeping the journey joyful as we progress towards our targets may actually take some brain training. We will need to get energized and pumped up for the steps it is going to take to achieve the target which is not always easy. In the weight loss example, losing weight is going to require eating less while exercising more. It is just that simple and many people will have a hard time finding that joyful. The destination will become important as we energize our brain, body, and spirit to take the journey.

R – Renewable

I prefer the term renewable but you could also use reevaluate or revise. We need all three actually. (S.M.A.R.T.E.R.R.R.?) You will certainly find yourself missing dates you set for some of your targets. You will certainly need to renew your commitment to certain targets after missing those dates. You may decide to revise the target because your focus and priorities have shifted. The overarching point is that the journey is more important than the target. When the due date arrives and you haven’t reached your target:

  • Reevaluate each letter of the S.M.A.R.T.E.R acronym as they pertain to the target in question.
  • Revise the target if necessary.
  • Renew your commitment to achieving the target.
  • Enjoy the journey.

Life is challenging. Overcoming those challenges is living. Everything else is just existing.

#JTC is basically goal joy setting focused on overcoming challenges in specific focus areas of your life while guiding and maintaining a balance between those focus areas.

Are you ready to start Joy Setting?

The Joy Setting process will be the focus for October. Be sure to follow #JTC on Facebook and sign up for email notifications to start your journey.

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#JTC: The Remix

WHAT'S SO FASCINATING, FRUSTRATING, AND GREAT ABOUT LIFE IS THAT YOU'RE CONSTANTLY STARTING OVER, ALL THE TIME, AND I LOVE THAT.

Billy Crystal
ConvergenceLifePersonal Development

#JTC: The Remix

by Mike Gusky

It’s hard to believe that it has been nearly 8 years since I started this blog in January, 2011. During those 8 years my dedication to posting has been hit or miss. It’s actually more the prioritization of posting that has been hit or miss. I have always been dedicated to and following the JTC concept and process.  Finding the time to write and post has certainly been a challenge.

I have had a strong and deep calling to write and post again lately. I have spent the last month or so planning the revival of JTC. At first I had grandiose plans to post every day including a content calendar for the balance of 2018. Who am I kidding? That is an absolute recipe for failure. It breaks nearly every rule of successful goal setting which I will be posting about soon. My plan was to have at least a week of content ready in advance if not more. Over the course of a month I have 2 drafts ready and they are just drafts. They are not 100% ready.

The plan was and still is to “relaunch” on October 1st. I am going to stick with that date (actually sort of beating it by posting this today – it’s the little wins…) but I am adjusting my posting commitment. I intend on posting at least once a week while “showing up” every day. “Showing up” is another key element of achieving goals that I will be posting about soon. What do I mean by “showing up” every day? If I am not posting something here on the site I will at a minimum be posting quotes or quick snippets on Facebook.

So the countdown begins. The next chapter of JTC starts in one week on October 1, 2018. I hope you will join me on this journey. You can subscribe to email updates and follow JTC on Facebook over to the right of this post.

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The Last List of Habits of Successful People You Will Ever Have To Read
LifePersonal Development

The Last List of Habits of Successful People You Will Ever Have To Read

by Mike Gusky

Why is this the last list you will ever have to read? Because I read them all for you. OK, maybe not all of them. If you Google “Habits of Successful People” you’ll get over 5 Million results. I have opened the top 200 in those results and read from top to bottom 100 of those top 200. Within the 200 there were plenty of really annoying sites that are so full of advertisements and pop ups that I had to close them. Hence the 100 that were actually read from top to bottom.

100 out of 5 Million doesn’t sound like a very valid sample size does it? I would agree if this were a political poll or medical trial but I am pretty confident that if you were able to read the remaining results you would only find the same tips and tricks in a different order or potentially different verbiage. Stop looking for the silver bullet.  The following are the best habits for success.

Top 10 Habits of Successful People – Curated from 100 Articles

#1 Exercise (89/100)

I am pretty sure the other 11 results that didn’t list exercise just assumed everyone knew that already. 50% of the 89 also emphasized working out to start the day as a factor for success. Exercise is a great outlet for relieving stress, to distract you from daily pressures—and to get fit at the same time. Regular exercise wards off depression and a host of other mental blocks that make success hard to achieve.

Of course, wanting to make exercise a habit and actually doing it are two different things. Changing your behavior is difficult. But there are some strategies that can make it easier to stick with an exercise habit.

  1. Develop a ritual to make starting easier. i.e. “During the next week I will exercise every morning to start the day before I do anything else.”
  2. Start with an exercise plan that is ridiculously small. Remove all the possible excuses of time or energy. I am currently using the Official 7 Minute Workout from Johnson & Johnson as the absolute minimum to stick with my goal of working out every day unless physically unable. No one can claim that they cannot find 7 minutes in the day to exercise.
  3. Focus on the habit first and results later. Set your goal to exercise x minutes y days/week for six months to build the habit then start thinking about your weight loss or fitness goals.  You may be surprised how far you have gone just by focusing on the habit.

#2 Read (50/100)

Feed your mind, improve your memory, and possibly even prevent Alzheimer’s Disease or Dimentia. Read every day! Keep a running list of what you are going to read next when you finish your current book.

#3 Get Up Early (32/100)

I couldn’t agree more with this one but it’s sort of interesting in that the main benefit is the solitude and quiet to focus and reflect. So if everyone in your household takes on this habit to be successful will it kill the main benefit or will you have to get up even earlier? 🙂

#4 Keep A Journal (32/100)

#5 Meditate (32/100)

#6 Plan the next day the night before (32/100)

#7 Know when to say NO (23/100)

#8 Set Goals (23/100)

#9 Express Gratitude (18/100)

#10 Build Relationships (18/100)

The list continues… (in no specific order)

  • Listen To Others
  • Donate Time and/or Money
  • At Least 7 Hours of Sleep
  • Stick to Morning Routines
  • Are Self Reliant
  • Prioritize The Day
  • Manage Their Emotions
  • Communicate Clearly
  • Practice Self Control
  • Value Solitude
  • Conscientious
  • Persistent
  • Batch Check Emails
  • Don’t Multi Task
  • Maintain a Morning Ritual
  • Eat Healthy
    • Really surprised this wasn’t in more of the results. Really needs to be hand in hand at the top with Exercise.
  • Balanced Life
  • Self Aware / Not Overconfident
  • Allocate Time for “Deep Work”
  • Work Remotely (20% outside of the office)
  • Have Definite Purpose
  • Know Their Motives
  • Surround Themselves With People Smarter Than Them
  • Tackle Big Task First
  • Make Time For Hobbies
  • Disconnect
  • Multiple Streams of Income
  • Be Frugal
  • Take Risks
  • Don’t Retire
  • Let Go of What You Cannot Control
  • Let Go of the Past
  • Dress Simply
  • Compliment Others
  • Embrace Change
  • Forgive Others (and yourself)
  • Accept Responsibility For Failures

There you have it. Anything you would add? Anything you would change in the order of the top 10? How are you going to start adding them to your life?

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The Journey Ahead: 2017 – Look Forward
LifePersonal Development

The Journey Ahead: 2017 – Look Forward

by Mike Gusky

The Journey Ahead: 2017

Look Forward! 2017

Omne Trium Perfectum

Just like we wrapped up 2016 we are going to summarize 2017 in 3’s. We are time traveling again. It’s December 2017, and you are wrapping up The Journey Past.  What is it going to say?

If you are just joining us you may want to start HERE first and then follow the steps (posts) in order. It’s never too late to start planning The Journey Ahead regardless of the date.

List the following as if 2017 has already happened. The skies the limit. Look at your goals and confirm them with the following summaries.

3 Accomplishments

What are the top 3 things you will accomplish in 2017. Write them down like they happened.

3 Challenges

What are the top 3 things that might challenge you in 2017. How will you overcome them? Write them down like you beat them.

3 Gratitudes

What are the top 3 things you will be grateful for in 2017. Write them down like they happened and express your gratitude.

The Journey Ahead In 3 Words

What 3 words are going to define the year ahead?

The Title of Your Book About The Journey Ahead: 2017

What is the title of the book you will write with your commitment and actions to the goals you set?

Now Commit To It!

Continue writing and expressing your commitment to meeting your goals, keeping a positive attitude, and believing anything is possible. Let it all out of your head.  Maybe even add a few “stretch goals” for when you complete the first set early.  Now sign it and get started!

May you have new hopes, dreams, and aspirations for the coming year and may they all come true.

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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The Journey Ahead: 2017 – Goal Setting
LifePersonal Development

The Journey Ahead: 2017 – Goal Setting

by Mike Gusky

People with goals succeed because they know where they’re going. ~Earl Nightingale

The Journey Ahead: 2017

Goal Setting

You just predicted your future for 2017 in the last step. As you read over your writing, the goals for this next step should be very apparent. In this step we will set 3 goals for each Convergence Point. We start with 3, if we complete and maintain them we can certainly add more later. Remember Omne Trium Perfectum.

If you are just joining us you may want to start HERE first and then follow the steps (posts) in order. It’s never too late to start planning The Journey Ahead regardless of the date.

Before you start setting your goals for 2016, take another quick look at how you did in 2016. How did you rank yourself in each Convergence Point? This should help you set your goals and focus for 2017. Here is how I ranked myself. I have bounced back and forth between being a little disappointed in myself and realizing that I am my own greatest critic. I use a scale of 1,3, or 5 with 1 meaning not so good and 5 meaning rocked it.

  • Health Ranking: 3 – Bit of a roller coaster. Need clear goals and discipline.
  • Family Ranking: 1 – Not enough time and focus spent on family.
  • Social Ranking: 1 – Borderline recluse unless work related.
  • Spiritual Ranking: 3 – Major strides in the last quarter of 2016. Keep it up and increase.
  • Personal Development Ranking: 1 – Unfocused. Need clear goals and discipline.
  • Giving Ranking: 1 – Untracked. Unfocused. I gave but to where and when?
  • Career Ranking: 5 – Fell into the workaholic trap. Team is phenomenal. Keep momentum but identify the asymptote area where added time is not providing equal value. Delegate more!
  • Financial Ranking: 3 – Save more! Stick to Budget! Need everyone on board.

I will start with the areas ranked 1, spending more time on those both in this planning exercise and possibly in executing on those goals. Each area still gets 3 goals for the year but some of the higher ranked areas my have goals revolving around maintaining that ranking vs. improving. The overall goal is balance that will ripple through all areas.

So get started! Write down 3 goals for each Convergence Point and then write exactly how you plan on achieving those goals. Yes, your plan needs a plan. I’ll be sharing more detail on that in future posts. Just make sure you list a couple steps or changes you are going to make in order to achieve the goals you are listing.

I write this all inside a new journal. If you are looking for a worksheet to complete this in you can download it FREE HERE.

Here is an example of my goals and plans for Personal Development:

More Focused Reading

I have formed a bad habit this past year of jumping into a new book before finishing the one I was reading at the time. I must have 10 or more unfinished books laying around. By the end of 2017 I want to be reading 1 book a week. I know I can’t jump to that level right out of the gate so I am going to start with a minimum of 1 per month and see how I can increase that over the course of the year.  In order to accomplish this goal I will have to:

  • Complete current book before starting another.
  • Maintain a list of “Next Reads”
  • Alternate Fiction & Non-Fiction
  • Read during Lunch Break (Outside when possible)

#MYJTC: Minimum of 1 Post per Week

After over 3 years of no posting, I have been posting almost every day the last few weeks. I know I won’t be able to keep that pace up. It is only the holidays and vacation time from work making it possible right now. My goal for 2017 is a minimum of 1 post per week or 52 total for the year. I might be able to beat it but that is my realistic goal at this point. In order to accomplish this goal I will have to:

  • Just Do It! Prioritize and Schedule it. Everything is a trade off.
  • Create ahead when possible. Build drafts of future posts when in a focused writing mood with time available.
  • JUST DO IT! Prioritize and Schedule it. Everything is a trade off.  It needed more emphasis.

Minimalism: Research & Apply

This past holiday season really put a bad taste in my mouth with the amount of “STUFF” that clogs our life. We will be looking to downsize and move this year and I would like to apply a great deal of minimalism to both the house hunt and what we put in that house. In order to accomplish this goal I will have to:

  • Just Do It! Prioritize and Schedule time to research.
  • Kill 2 Birds with one stone – Read about Minimalism.
  • Kill 2 Birds with one stone – Post about Minimalism.
  • Just Do It! Prioritize, Schedule and Apply!

That’s it for this step. Identify 3 goals for each area and the steps you will take to accomplish them.

STEP 5 DONE! Tomorrow we wrap it up with a summary for The Journey Ahead: 2017.

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The Journey Ahead: 2017 – Predict Your Future
LifePersonal Development

The Journey Ahead: 2017 – Predict Your Future

by Mike Gusky

The best way to predict your future is TO CREATE it.

The Journey Ahead: 2017

Predict Your Future

Similar to the “Mind Dump” of 2016 we are going to just write today but we are going to time travel to December 2017 and write as if the year is over. It’s a blank page, what will it say about your 2017? Think of all the possibilities in the journey ahead. What will your ideal year look like? What will you focus on? What will you accomplish in the coming year? What may challenge you? How might you overcome those challenges.  Now write it down as if it has already happened and PREDICT YOUR FUTURE! It should go without saying but I will say it just in case – predict the future you want not the one your lizard brain keeps telling you that you deserve. The lizard brain is wrong!

STEP 4 DONE! Tomorrow we set the goals that will make this prediction a reality.

 

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The Journey Ahead: 2017 – Wrapping Up 2016
LifePersonal Development

The Journey Ahead: 2017 – Wrapping Up 2016

by Mike Gusky

The Journey Past: 2016

Wrap It Up! 2016

Omne Trium Perfectum

Latin for “everything that comes in threes is perfect, or every set of three is complete.” Now that we have completed the mind dump along with the goal review and ranking for 2016 we are going to summarize the past year in 3’s.

If you are just joining us you may want to start HERE first and then follow the steps (posts) in order. It’s never too late to start planning The Journey Ahead regardless of the date.

3 Accomplishments

Pretty self explanatory, list your top 3 Accomplishments from 2016. Don’t tell me you didn’t have any. If you really think about it there are plenty to choose from but you are focusing on the negative. Find them and list them.

3 Challenges

Isn’t it strange how these probably popped right into your head? Why do we have this bias towards the negative in our lives. Actually, challenges are not really negative. They are lessons to grow from. What were 3 you experienced in 2016 and how will you easily overcome them if they come back up in 2017. What did you learn?

3 Gratitudes

Again, don’t tell me you don’t have anything to be grateful for. If you are reading this then you are living, breathing, able to read, with access to the web.  There are a simple 3 to get you started. Now really think hard about all the positives in your life and pick 3. I am positive there are far more than 3. Go back and review your mind dump. There should be a few listed there already.

It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful. ~Brother David Steindl-Rast

The Journey Past in 3 Words

Simply 3 words to define and summarize this past year.

How Would You Title The Journey Past?

If you wrote a book about your 2016 what would the title be?

Now Say Goodbye!

We are wrapping up 2016 so we can start planning 2017. Let the words flow out of you. Forgive anyone that you may feel wronged you this past year. Most importantly, forgive yourself for anything you feel you may have done wrong. Wrap up 2016 and LET IT GO!

Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future. ~Paul Boese

I write this all inside a new journal. If you are looking for a worksheet to complete this in you can download it for FREE HERE.

STEP 3 DONE! The past is wrapped up. Now it’s on to planning The Journey Ahead in 2017.

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The Journey Ahead: 2017 – How Did I Do? 2016
LifePersonal Development

The Journey Ahead: 2017 – How Did I Do? 2016

by Mike Gusky

The Journey Past: 2016

How Did I Do?

Rank yourself within each Convergence Point.

During this next step of the process we are going to look at the goals we set for 2016 within each Convergence Point and rank how we did? How did you do compared to what you wanted to do? I use a 1,3,5 scale:

  • 1 – Not so good, probably quite a few goals that are going to need to carry over to 2017.
  • 3 – Not too shabby, I didn’t necessarily complete everything planned or didn’t move the needle as far as I wanted but definitely made strong progress.
  • 5 – ROCKED IT! Completed every goal set. Moved the needle exactly where I wanted it.

If you are just joining us, you may want to start HERE first and then follow the steps (posts) in order. It’s never too late to start planning The Journey Ahead regardless of the date.

Reflect and Write.

Reflect on each area and write down how you did. Congratulate yourself on what you completed. Think about what stopped you from completing any goal that was not completed. Is that goal still important to you or have your priorities shifted?  If yes, then plan on adding it to your 2017 goals. If not, then let it go! For those that are coming over to 2017 – how will you overcome the challenges that stopped you from achieving them in 2016?

#MYJTC

I have a confession to make. I didn’t have very clear goals to start 2016. No excuses, but I had a fairly major surgery the last week of 2015 and the recovery was a bit slow and took the better part of Jan – Mar 2016. I almost blocked that lack of goals from my mind until going through this step of the process and not finding the clear goals by convergence point in any of my 2016 journals.  I was attempting to measure my daily and weekly efforts toward each point without any clear goals.  WHAT WAS I THINKING!?

As you can see from the featured image I hand write this all into my journal. Yes, even the shapes and symbols. It is very relaxing and therapeutic for me to create in this way.  It will also be my reference tool for the year. You can download the worksheet for FREE HERE if you aren’t big on doing this freestyle.

There are 8 different Convergence Points and you should spend at least 20 minutes per point totaling a little over 2.5 hours for this step. It may take more or less dependent on how much you write and how much you have to reflect on.

I will use HEALTH as an example from mine.

Although I never set clear goals for 2016, I did focus on the points of convergence throughout the year. I am very grateful for a successful recovery from surgery which would have certainly been my first goal for the year. The others would have certainly revolved around exercise discipline and controlling my blood sugar. Those will definitely be in my 2017 goals. Overall this area was a bit of a roller coaster. Hindsight being 20/20 I can attribute a good portion of that roller coaster to not having clear goals. Although I ranked my performance in this area for 2016 as a 3, its probably more like a 1.5 to 2.0 but I  am not going to over complicate the process. It was somewhere between stellar and not good and needs more focus in 2017.

STEP 2 DONE! Talk to you tomorrow with the next step.

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The Journey Ahead: 2017 – Let’s Get Started!
LifePersonal Development

The Journey Ahead: 2017 – Let’s Get Started!

by Mike Gusky

The Process

I like to complete this process in 1-2 hour bits over the course of 5 to 6 days because my mind tends to wander after a couple hours. In order to keep clear focus on each step of the process it helps me to stop after each section and move on to other activities. The next day I will review what I have completed thus far and spend an hour or two on the next section. I am going to post about each section the day after I complete it. Here is my plan on planning The Journey Ahead.

If you are just joining us, you may want to start HERE first and then follow the steps (posts) in order. It’s never too late to start planning The Journey Ahead regardless of the date.

  • 12/23 (post 12/24): The Journey Past: 2016 – Reviewing the lessons of the year past. Completing a “Mind Dump” of the events, projects, and happenings of 2016. What went well? What didn’t go well?
  • 12/24 (post 12/26): How Did I Do? 2016 – Reviewing the goals set for 2016 in each Convergence Point. Ranking yourself in each area. What was completed? What wasn’t? Why?
  • 12/25: Happy Christmahannukwanzadan. Probably still missing a few people and I am sure someone is offended but so be it. I will be focusing on Family this day and hope you will as well. Although a few days late for Festivus there may even be a few “Airing of Grievances” and “Feats of Strength” this day as well.
  • 12/26 (post 12/27): Wrap It Up! 2016 – Summarize the accomplishments, challenges, & gratitudes of 2016. Learn from the experiences you had this past year both positive and negative. Forgive anyone and everyone including yourself and then close the door on 2016. Let It Go!
  • 12/27 (post 12/28): The Journey Ahead: 2017 – “Mind Dump” – starting with gratitude for a brand new year, think of all the possibilities in the journey ahead. What will your ideal year look like? What will you focus on? What will you accomplish? What may challenge you? How will you overcome those challenges?
  • 12/28 (post 12/29): What Are My Goals? 2017 – Set your goals by Convergence Point for 2017. How will you compete with your current self to become your future self?
  • 12/29 (post 12/30): Wrap It Up! 2017 – Pretend it’s December 2017 and you are starting your plan for 2018. What does the Journey Past for 2017 look like? Summarize the year as if it has already happened. Now commit to making it happen!
  • Celebrate! You have taken the first steps to planning a road map to a successful 2017 defined by your own wishes, dreams, and goals. This is only the beginning. It is an ongoing process throughout the year executing, reviewing, adjusting and planning. You can do this!

I personally like to hand write all of this into my first new journal for the year.  I generally use 3-4 journals a year dependent on how much I write. Using 4 is perfect in my eyes with a new journal for each quarter at which point I will rewrite everything from the current year portion of the process. It is a great time to take a pulse check, confirm or change priorities and keep the goals for the year top of mind.

If you are the type that likes a form to fill out vs. freestyle in a journal or you want to knock this out in one sitting and don’t want to wait for each post I have created a simple form you can download below.

The Journey Ahead 2017 Worksheet

The Journey Past: 2016

Mind Dump

The first step in planning the Journey Ahead is looking at the lessons of the Journey Past. Reflect on the past year both in your head as well as by reviewing any past calendars or journals. I find it very important to both start and end with Gratitude. Mine starts with…

Thank you for all the wonderful experiences and joys in 2016.

Then continue with the specific gratitude you have for special events, completed projects, and happenings this past year.  Let it flow. Keep writing until you can’t think of anything more to say. A few of mine are:

Thank you for a successful recovery from CSF Otorrhea repair surgery.

Thank you for another wonderful year with my soulmate and wife.

Thank you for another wonderful year with our 7 children progressing in their journey.

Keep writing with as much detail as you can think of. What challenges did you face? What are you most proud of? What could you have done better? We’ll get into the details by Convergence Point in the next section but this is a good time to start thinking about all of those areas in your life and how they went in 2016.

I truly believe it will take an hour at a minimum to do this well and the space provided in the worksheet should not be nearly enough so add a couple blank pages if you are using it and keep writing.  Get it all out and onto paper to prepare for the next steps and eventual planning for the next year.  It took me 2.5 hours to complete in both reading through all my 2016 journals and performing this Mind Dump onto paper.

STEP 1 DONE! Talk to you on 12/26 with the next step.

Happy Christmahannukwanzadan!

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