without ulterior motives . Each of us can contribute in different ways , for instance financially , materially or time-wise through coaching , mentoring or simply visiting . Find your space and get involved .
Education / Mental Development : How did you develop yourself mentally in 2016 ? This category relates to academic growth and selfeducation . Go beyond the academic . List your professional and personal development areas for the next 12 months and make a reading , listening and viewing list for the year . In addition to this , identify a role model or get a mentor if this will help .
Have you been procrastinating about furthering your education in 2017 ? Rather than wait for perfect conditions , just start ! You know you will find a way get it all done .
The Mental dimension also relates to our thinking . As the Bible say , as a man thinks in his heart so is he . Henry Ford was also right when he said , ‘ Whether you think you can , or whether you think you can ’ t , you ’ re right .’ How do you think of yourself ? Do you firmly believe that you will succeed in life ? Do you feel confident and inspired to go for gold every time ? Your self-belief will influence the extent of your success .
Personal : This flows from the ‘ Mental ’ dimension , but is broader . How are you leading you ? What is your view of life ? What is your attitude ? How are you managing yourself ? What changes do you need to make ?
This is where you take a look at yourself and identify the roadblocks to success that you have allowed , such as bad habits , low self-esteem and indiscipline . It ’ s all about choice , and once we make choices , they turn around and make us . You can choose to design the life you want – just take action to create it , starting from the Personal .
Bringing your Plan to Life Review your notes on all the 8 areas and create tangible 2017 goals for each , identifying your priority areas . Next , make a first quarter plan to March 2017 , and a first month plan to January 2017 . Finally make your plan for the first week of January . Once that is done , you can go off and enjoy the festive season .
Making a plan is the first step towards succeeding in life . The real test however is how well you implement it . Regular reviews and updates of your plan will determine whether you achieve your 2017 goals or not . Be relentless in working towards your goals .
Even you can do better in 2017 . Just start . Have a reflective Christmas and brilliant 2017 .
Caroline Nyamwaya Mwazi is Chief Change Catalyst at Huru Consult Limited , a Nairobi-based management and training consulting company that focuses on Strategy , Financial Management , Leadership and Organizational Development . She can be reached via e-mail on : CMwazi @ gmail . com or via Twitter on @ cmwazi .