What do you really want to finish next year? Prioritize so you can focus your effort.
Episode outline: 1) What is important to you, 2) What are your key personal events for 2022, 3) What are your current challenges, 4) What is the vision (or purpose) for your life, 5) Prioritize your effort, 6) Ensure you synchronize your plan for next year with your significant other.
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Stephen McLain:
Hi, this is Stephen McLain of the finance leader podcast. This is bonus episode number 31. Last week, I talked briefly about our mental fitness for the annual holiday time. This is an important topic. Did you check on anybody this week? How is your team doing? How is your family? And how are you doing? Are you getting ready for the well deserved break? In the business of finance and accounting, we know there's no real break, we have monthly close and soon many of you will have year end close. This is why I'm an advocate for positive change in our profession, to clean up our processes, and to ensure you have a financial system that actually adds value instead of one that creates unnecessary work. I know you probably have little influence right now over what financial system you have. But you can clean up your processes, and can maximize efficiencies for the systems you do have. Clean up the processes and learn your financial systems, and what they can really do to help you streamline what you are trying to do. And I still want you to enjoy some time with friends and family. You deserve it, enjoy it. Over the next few weeks. Before we get into 2022. Please start thinking about your priorities for next year. I want 2022 to be your best year ever. So here are a couple things I want you to think about. Number one, what is truly important to you. It can be family, recreation, your career, your health, your relationship, your hobbies, it can be a variety of things that make you happy. And that will fit into your long term goal. We are all looking for different things in the long term. It could be money, prestige, acceptance, or maybe proving to doubters that you can accomplish the impossible. Or maybe it's happiness with simple means. There are so many combinations, and we often change our perspective and dreams over time. So what is truly important to you. Number two, list out your key personal events and milestones for 2022. These are important events that you cannot miss this year, it could be your parents 50th anniversary, or a school reunion, or an important milestone in your relationship. So list all those out. And we're going to prioritize these events around a few other things. Number three, list out your current challenges. These challenges are something that will consume your time and focus over the next year. It could be a health challenge. It could be an issue with a parent, your child or your significant other, what is going to be a potential distraction that might prevent you from accomplishing your goals. Number four, what is your life vision or your purpose? Which is another way to say it? Now that we have thought about what is important to us? Ask yourself? What is my long term goal? And how does that fit into the life that I desire? Write out a statement about your vision or purpose. Number five, prioritize your effort for next year. What do you really want to finish next year, you have listed out what's important, your important events for next year, and what challenges you have prioritize so you can focus your efforts. Number six, if you are in a committed relationship, and sure what you want is in sync with your significant other. I'm always an advocate for you to cross talk your goals and priorities with your significant other. This helps with your relationship so you can sync together all your activities for the year. This analysis here will help you as you develop your plan for 2022 which will be your best year ever. I can't wait. I am working on preparing season nine which will debut on January 4. I can't wait to share the new episodes of the podcast. So take care. I'll see you next week. Thank you