The fatigue of reaching your goals is daunting, but you can overcome it.

The New Year is here and business people all over the world are sitting in their office staring bewildered at their desk wondering how they are going to move their career and company forward.  This daunting task to keep motivated or to inspire others to keep focus is mentally draining. Imagine yourself driving in a snowstorm. Your fingers gripping the wheel at the 10 and 2 positions, snowflakes are piling up on your windshield, as your windshield wipers struggle to smear a frozen haze in front of your eyes.  You stare out your window focusing on snow driven ruts in the road created by the car ahead.  Your eyes fixated on the rear tail lights in the distance. Your goal is to slowly maneuver yourself closer and hopefully pass this slower moving car so you can get home to your love ones.  But as much as you would love to accelerate you know the road is just too hazardous to do without careful planning and using extreme caution. When the moment arrives and you walk through the door, you feel an accomplishment that you made it home safe and sound.

Each year business people find themselves driving home in a winter snowstorm, but the drive is 360 day drive and like the Twilight Zone finds them back in the driver’s seat weeks later pondering how they are going to navigate through hazards conditions again. Those with the mental focus will drive safely home each year, while others will fall asleep at the wheel.

Tips for keeping focus on your business.

1. Review last year’s achievements and quickly evaluate if they need to be improved more or are they adequate enough to move forward.
2. Review goals not achieved last year and ask “Are these goals still important?” If so include them in this year’s goals.
3. Take a day or two to mentally prepare for the New Year – get email, text messages, desk, and calendars organized and ready for the new business cycle.
4. Meet with key personal and make sure everyone is on the same page for this year’s goals.  Don’t waste energy on ideas and projects that are no longer important. The business model/goals have changed for 2011.
5. Develop a routine that includes working out, reading, relaxing and planning.  Managing your time will make you more efficient and will keep you focused.
6. Buy a large bottle of your favorite headache pain killers and put them in your desk.  You know you are going to need them eventually and better to be prepared now then dealing with a splitting head in the future.