For long term and decade goals, discipline requires you to play the end game. The only way to be successful in your life and your career is to set your goal and break it into daily/weekly chunks.

Life is about milestones, and what better milestone than a (perceived) new decade?

2020 is rapidly approaching. Reflecting back to 2010, it doesn’t feel like that far away…

But in the last decade:

•     Angry Birds got our attention and derailed salespeople everywhere
•     Snookie from Jersey Shore was a thing
•     Launched the iPad
•     Taylor Swift became legally able to consume alcohol
•     Operation Iraqi Freedom Ended
•     The Raiders played their final game in Oakland Coliseum and lost.  (Deja Vous anyone?)
•     Dropbox released its BlackBerry App
•     Netflix bought rights from several studios to start streaming movies
•     Apple surpassed Microsoft as the most valuable company in the world
•     The first trees were planted back at the World Trade Center site
•     11 million families had homes that were worth less than what they owed
•     People still struggling or beginning to dust off their knees after the Great Recession steamrolled us

For the purists out there, I know that the official start to a decade is a year away, (Jan 1, 2021) however it feels easier to my simple brain to comprehend that 2020 is the start.

Like many sales professionals, I take this time of year to reflect back on what was done in 2019 and plan ahead to 2020.

My question to you though, is what are your goals for the 2020’s?

“Discipline is just choosing between what you want now and what you want most.” – Anonymous

Discipline requires you to play the end game, instead of getting played by the day to day.

It forces a long term strategy, keen focus, and a relentless diligence to the week-to-week goals that are needed to get you where you want to be.

It. Is. Difficult.

Yet the only way to be successful is to set your goal, and break it into daily/weekly chunks.

It will take time to do, and your day-to-day life will fight a good fight for your attention.

There are things that you simply cannot accomplish in just one calendar year.

Life is about milestones, and what better milestone than a (perceived) new decade?

Career Goals

What:

• role do you see yourself in mid-decade? 2030?
• coursework do you need to get there?
• professional certifications are important?
• roles are important as stepping stones to advance to the role that you want?
• company can provide you the long-term play or training to get to where you want to be?

And, most importantly, is your skillset aligned to your career goal, and is it something that you will enjoy?

Financial Goals

•     Save for a house, payoff a house, buy a second investment or vacation home
•     Retire, build a nest egg to start a business, save for your children’s college
•     Payoff debt

Personal Goals

•     Finish in the top 10 in a marathon
•     Take a two-week family trip to Europe
•     Hike the Appalachian Trail
•     Visit all the NFL stadiums to watch your favorite team play

Decade goals can change and flex as your life throws unexpected things your way.

If you don’t get them on paper though, you will find yourself saying, “I should have….” way too many times.

Get your decade goals on paper and do things that others are simply unwilling to do. Happy New Year!