Success in the coming year will look different for every individual. For some, success might look like effectively harnessing opportunities to make a substantial improvement in one’s life. For others, life improvement may be solving difficult problems or enduring tough emotional challenges. For most, it will be a mixture of both. Regardless, planning will help.
We offer a free, simple, one-page planning worksheet to guide your planning.
This free template is designed with the following in mind:
- Intended for individual use.
- A one-page format to promote concise thinking.
- A philosophy of empowerment: specifying objectives and goals that require you to make decisions and take action. We believe that your knowledge, your skills, and your behaviors determine your future.
- Use of a comprehensive framework to prompt a holistic consideration of life’s essential elements.
- The development of a complete listing of the objectives, goals, and actions required or desired in the coming year.
- Encouragement to use SMART objectives, goals, and actions where possible.
- An allowance to create greater personal focus. As needed, mark areas of lesser focus as not applicable (N/A) or simply eliminate them within the editable template.
- An accommodation to “think big.” As necessary, capture stretch goals and aspirational objectives and actions so as not to limit your thinking or potential.
- The need for periodic progress and performance review. Consider how you will evaluate each objective, goal, or action at years end. Where possible, define opportunities for shorter-term, “quick wins” and periodic reporting on progress. Example: The goal “read one book a month” allows for immediate action, periodic successes, and an accurate determination of performance against target.