I believe 2020 is going to be, for me, a strong year of rebuilding. I have spent the past nine years as the part-time Executive Director for the Glasser Institute for Choice Theory (GIFCT), being paid to deliver eight hours of work each week. I am continuing as the part-time Executive Director for William Glasser International, a position I have held since 2013.

The year I was asked to work at GIFCT was the same year I published my first solo book, Secrets of Happy Couples. I knew saying yes to Glasser meant saying no to promoting my book and expanding my own work. Of course, with the two part-time contracts, I still had time to do my own work and was able to continue facilitating Choice Theory trainings as I had been before becoming the executive director. In fact, continuing with Choice Theory trainings and not relocating to California were both conditions of my accepting the position. However, there were other things I wanted to do that there just wasn’t time for.

Now that I am no longer the ED for GIFCT, I plan to pursue those other projects with full force. After looking back at 2019 for lessons learned, which I wrote about at olverinternational.com/birthday-gift, I look forward to what I want to accomplish in the future. I write down my annual goals as close to January 1st as possible. Here are some questions I ponder as I prepare for my goal setting process.

1. What are the things in my life I am grateful for?
2. What are the biggest successes of the last year?
3. In what areas of my life do I want to set goals this year?
4. What do I want people to be saying about me at my 100th birthday party?
5. What will I need to do between now and then to deserve those accolades and comments?
6. What part of that do I want to have accomplished in the next 10 years?
7. If I’m successful at that, what will need to accomplish in the next five years?
8. In the next two years?
9. What do I want to accomplish in 2020? (I break this answer into quarters to determine what needs to be finished by March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 30.)
10. With my quarterly goals in mind, what do I need to accomplish this week? (I set weekly goals every Sunday.)
11. What are the seven most important things to accomplish the next day? (I determine this every night before going to sleep. I prioritize them from most important to least important, starting with the first thing on the list and moving through them in order of importance, except when one might be time sensitive.)

I have an entire additional process once the goals have been set, which increases the likelihood of accomplishing them (www.bit.ly/356ZaHr). This year, I want to record those goals here for an added layer of accountability. Feel free to also record your goals below if you’d like me to hold you accountable.

In 2020, I will:

1. Be fully present in my conversations with others, by minimizing distractions and attending fully to the person I am speaking with.
2. Meditate daily to strengthen my relationship with Source.
3. Continue to nurture my relationships with my grandchildren by spending one-on-one time with all of them for no less than 16 hours each.
4. Write two books and edit a third.
5. Add at least five new people to Academy of Choice.
6. Provide 14 hours of continuing education for coaches approved through the Center for Credentialing & Education.
7. Start a branch of Academy of Choice in three new countries.
8. Record 52 podcasts, and write 366 social media posts and 52 blog posts.
9. Teach 15 Choice Theory trainings.
10. Present at three conferences.
11. Outline the beginning of a social movement.
12. Prepare a TEDx Talk.

I am aware of the statistic that says humans greatly overestimate what can be accomplished in one year and underestimate what can be accomplished in ten. Assuming that’s true, I don’t expect to accomplish all 12 items on my list. However, as I’m typing now, I do believe I am going to accomplish it all because I need to believe, with every fiber of my being, that I can do it. When I review 2020, if there are things I neglected to accomplish, then that will become part of my year in review and I expect to learn something from that.

As I roll into 2020, I’m feeling ready, strong, confident, competent, prepared, focused and dedicated. My word for 2020 is influence. What’s yours?