Shoot for the Moon in 2011

Brian Littrell said ““Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.”

As we enter the first day of the second decade in the 21st century, why not plan to shoot for the moon in 2011?

So perhaps in preparation, create your 2011 Shooting for the Moon list!

We all have a list of personal projects that we would just love to throw ourselves into. Things like photographing the family, collating family history into one huge tome, compiling old recipe books, planting a special garden, redecorating the office – this list is endless.

Number one for the year!!! Regardless of how it seems like there is no time, dedicate ONE project just to you – because you want to – because it gives your heart joy. Get creative with no budget. Call in favours, barter, trade and exchange resources and time and get excited about your own project. See it through to the end as if this project is for the wealthiest client you could ever encounter. Create this for yourself!

2. To appreciate 2010, back up all your work. Everything you have done, your work – your personal stuff - blogs, thoughts, ideas, emails, photos, videos, recordings – every single thing – back it up onto one enormous hard drive. Then copy that onto another hard drive as a backup for the backup. Categorise and label so you can find anything when you go looking for that one little paragraph that you wrote about that certain subject of interest later in the year. :-)

3. Deep inside of you, there is a bottomless pit of thoughts. Inspired ideas you have been playing with for years. Find one – just one, make it real, breathe life into it and set it free. Set up a Word Press, Blogspot, or a Facebook page. You have a voice. You have a message. Tell the world.

4. Have the relationship of your dreams.....with yourself! Do all the things that you would love to do with your partner if you have one or not. Fall in love with yourself, create a vision for yourself, live in the present moment, find the passion in your every day moments, demonstrate appreciation for how you have loved in the past and see the best in yourself like a lover in the first flush of infatuation and love. Enjoy a whirlwind romance with the most beautiful person you know - YOU!

5. List 12 new local activities you wish to do in 2011 - something different that you have never done before. Plan one adventure for your own backyard each month and commit yourself to it like you are planning the most important event of your life. Enjoy gathering the resources for each activity, log everything that you do. Photograph, video and document whatever you do and then have the best time on each adventure.  You can then create a DVD to watch in 2012! :-)

6. Produce a prospectus of all the clients you would love to service in 2011. Think about what they want and how you, with your talents and knowledge, can give it to them. Create proposals for them; put together submissions – even if just in your head. But start imagining these new customers and gradually call them into your business so you can serve them. Frankenstein them. 

7. Review your finances. Look at your cash flow, budgets and your bottom line. Cop a good feel of your cushion and see if you need to top it up at all. Review your investments and check their returns are in order. Increase your enforced savings by 5 percent in January and then another 5 percent in March. You won’t miss it, trust me! Then consider what risks you may look at in 2011. Check this again at the end of April, July and September. Appreciating your money as an important resource in your life – without fear or guilt or shame – simple appreciation – helps your finances - and everything else - to grow.

8. Produce your Needs Wish List - a list of all the equipment and resource that you think that you will need in 2011. From your health to your time to your environment to your things like laptops, hard drives, cameras, printers, software  - flights and accommodation to/in New York – hehe – sorry that one was for me - :-) - anything that you would love to have in order for you to achieve your goals in 2011. Forge a hierarchy of needs – what will you need the most in order to achieve your goals? For example, if you’re hooked up to a machine that breathes for you, that may possibly dampen your ability to run with the bulls in Spain??? So your health may be your most important need. I’m just sayin’!

9. Do an Inventory of what You have NOW!! I know sounds cruel right – coming right after doing that fabulous wish list. But once you see what you have now, and what you want – you can see where what you have can be used for what you want. Less is definitely more and the more multifunctional our equipment and resources are, the less clutter we hold onto and the more resourceful we become.

10. Connect. Go somewhere new and meet new people. Sift through your Facebook friends and contact everyone in the same city or neighbourhood or industry as you and tweet a meet up.  Create social events combining personal and professional networks. Theme the cuisine, venue, dress, music – just have fun with it - bring people together. Play games and enjoy the company of like minded people!

11. Start the 2011 TO DO List. Ok now that you have your own project up and running, and you have planned personal adventures to look forward to each month, and you know who you wish to work with and what you need to work with them and what you have in order to do all of that, now make that HAVE TO list. Yes the list that we all dread. All the stuff we didn’t finish in 2010 – start with that. Every single thing in every area of your life – list what is outstanding. Cross one off each day and keep going until that list is complete.

12. Do the thing on your 2011 TO DO list that you really don’t want to – the thing that you dread the most - do it FIRST. Have that talk to the underperforming staff member that you have been avoiding. Call that client that hasn’t paid his bill. Produce a Marketing Plan for your brand. Sign up for Business coaching. Archive. Clean out your desk. Face your greatest TO DO demon – then it’s done!

13. Get a Makeover! Update the look of your on line sites. Add new photographs, re colour, move things around and spruce it up a little. Then go through your wardrobe and do the same thing. Then your bedroom, or just one room in your house, your office - one space where you spend time. Refresh the look of these spaces - overhaul, upgrade and makeover - in the first week of 2011.

14. Be honest with yourself and fess up that you don’t know everything! Find that one task that you have been delegating, (ok avoiding) sit down, and research and learn how to do it yourself. Photoshop. Adding an entry into Wikipedia. Creating an html table code. Editing videos.  Fixing a flat tyre. Milking a Cow. (ya never know right?) Cooking that ridiculous Quail recipe in the French cookbook that looks terrifying. You know what I’m talking about – face your fears, take one big gulp quickly and just do it!

15. Stick your hand in a pot of glue by reading up on the lives of those who inspire you. Ingest a few dozen biographies in 2011. People that have changed the world in your eyes - Warriors, Artists, Leaders, Entrepreneurs, Inventors, Philosophers, Authors.  See where you are the same as they are. Feel inspired by their stories and begin to see the greatness that resides in you.

16. Plan regular little moments of nothing – afternoon naps, lie outside on the grass watching the clouds, sleep in on a Sunday, walk on the beach at sunset, read a trashy weekly women’s magazine, play a game of chess with someone you don’t know in a public park, take a long lavender bath. Plan for your own time and space with nothing to do other than just to be. :-)

I know – it is not often that we encounter the very unmagical number of sixteen right? Typically there are 7 keys to success, 3 steps to unlimited wealth, 5 gateways, 12 magic principles etc so 16 guidelines feels a little odd. Therefore, find your own magic number and add however many other items that work just for you and enjoy Shooting for the Moon in 2011!