Five Questions to Answer Now for a Great 2008!

What’s really important to me?

Be honest with yourself here. Dig deep into your heart for answers. Don’t populate your list with things other people think you “should” do. As women, we so often busy ourselves doing tasks that are important to others and put our own needs last. Let 2008 be the year you put your own priorities at the top of your list. I can guarantee you if you are getting your own needs met, you will create an abundance of energy to help others.

When you start, it may be helpful to make a laundry list of things that are important. But ultimately, plan to narrow down to the top three things that are truly most important to you right now. These will become a key guidance system for you as you move through 2008.

As you narrow down to your top three, challenge yourself (and the voices of other people that you may be hearing in your head). Clarify to find the truth by asking, “If I knew 2008 was my last year on Earth, would this be something I’d focus on?” If not, let it rest for now. Find your top three – those essentials that give your unique, beautiful individual life meaning and purpose.

I’ve been through this exercise a few times now (thank you, Melanie Benson Strick from Success Connections!) and have found that my list has refined and gotten more clear over time and that, to some extent, what is important to me shifts a little as my life changes. So find your top three and don’t judge them. Just know you’ve found a small and important part of defining who you really are and getting clear on your mission in this life.

(Jane Out of the Box members can see my personal list of what’s important on the What’s Most Important to You? discussion board.)



What do I want to achieve in 2008 in each important area?

Take each one of your three most important items and create 1-3 specific goals you want to achieve. There are several important characteristics of a goal that you want to take into account while you do this. Have you heard of SMART goals? SMART goals were first written about by George T. Doran, in Management Review. “SMART” goals are:


• Specific (be ultra-clear)
• Measurable (define how you will know you’re successful)
• Achievable (be realistic, but do stretch yourself)
• Relevant (make sure it’s directly related to your important focus area)
• Time-Bound (commit to when you’ll get it done)

For example, let’s say one of your top three items is financial freedom. You want to make 2008 a strong business growth year so you can draw more income. You might set a goal that looks like this:

By December 31, 2008, XYZ Company will show total annual revenue of $550,000, a 10% increase over 2007 sales, while maintaining a gross profit margin of 30%.

How is this SMART?


• Specific (your goal is clear)
• Measurable ($550,000 in revenue can be measured)
• Achievable (10% growth was deemed tough but achievable for this company)
• Relevant (an increase in sales while holding profit margin steady will mean more money left at the end of the year [in this case, an additional $16,500 pre-tax])
• Time-Bound (December 31, 2008 is a clear deadline)

When you’ve completed this question, you should have between 3 and 9 SMART goals you intend to pursue in 2008. Write them all down on one sheet of paper and keep them in a place where you can see them every day. Also, schedule time each month to assess your progress against each goal and make sure you’re staying true to what’s important.



What did I do in 2007 that supported me in having what’s most important?

This is your time to really celebrate your successes in 2007. List each of your top 3 most important items as a column on a sheet of paper and start remembering and writing down all of the things you did that supported you in feeling fulfilled in that important area of your life.

Is having a great relationship with your family one of your top three items? Then you could jot down how you attended every one of your son’s sports games this past Fall, how you took a day off work (even though you had to juggle like crazy) to take your grandmother to the doctor, or how you made a commitment with your husband to have a weekly date night – and followed through on that commitment.

Is increasing your personal income (financial freedom) one of your top three items? If so, you might list how you made at least one new sales call every day or how you consistently asked your good clients for referrals, or how you hired someone to do some repetitive tasks so you could focus more on growing your client base.

Don’t shortcut your list – keep asking yourself, “What else?” until you can’t come up with anything more. Take time to appreciate all the things you do right! Plus, now that you’ve built a list of “successes,” you can refer to it again and again whenever you need guidance.

What did I do in 2007 that didn’t work and that I am willing to change?

The key here is to keep this list small and stay focused on things you truly are ready to change in your life. If it’s broken but you’re not willing to change it (yet), let it be. Seek to find 3 things you are willing to change next year to move you in the direction of your three most important goals.

For example, one thing some women entrepreneurs struggle with is financial management. Maybe this past year you weren’t very organized with your bookkeeping and invoicing. As a result, some customers were upset to get invoices late and you suspect that there may even have been some work you forgot to invoice altogether. You recognize this as a real problem and are committed to changing this behavior in the future. So you add to your list, “In 2008, I am willing to change the way I handle the finances for my company.”

Another frequent thing I hear from women entrepreneurs is that they recognize they aren’t taking very good care of themselves. Maybe this past year, you worked too many hours, or sacrificed sleep, exercise, or quality nutrition in the interest of taking care of many other people. Are you willing to change this behavior? Then add to your list: In 2008, I am willing to take better care of myself.

Where can I learn how to make these changes?

If you’ve nodded even once at any of the goals or challenges described in this article, then you know other women have faced the same challenges you face – and conquered them. A wonderful gift to yourself for 2008 would be to embrace the idea that you don’t have to do it alone. Instead of reinventing the wheel, find other people who are willing to help you or whose knowledge you can tap to speed you on your way to new thinking in creating the changes you want in your life.

Want to take better care of yourself in 2008? Go on the discussion boards at Jane Out of the Box and ask other women entrepreneurs how they manage to carve out time for themselves.

Want to hire someone to help you free your time at work to focus on revenue growth? Get expert advice by listening to Jane Out of the Box content experts. Beth Schneider discusses how to build systems that ensure your team’s success. Or check out Melanie Benson Strick’s information on building a virtual team.

Regardless of how you do it, the key thing is to keep learning and testing new approaches until you create improvement in those areas you’ve committed to change. Each time you make one small, positive change you’re that much closer to creating the life that you dream for yourself in 2008.

Five simple questions – but the answers will be profound. Take time out in December to reflect, appreciate yourself and all you do, and get clear on what you want to create in 2008.