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Indeed it is the time of year again to reflect, take an inventory and calibrate the navigational systems for strategic planning in the coming year.

Each year at this time I reflect on my accomplishments the year past, learning from what’s working and re-learning from what hasn’t worked so well. Then I take that learning into the planning for the coming year. I’m confident you are probably engaged in a similar activity as well.

For me, it’s a simple process.  I think about what worked and got done, and what didn’t. Usually I don’t beat myself up too much on what didn’t happen or get done to my expectation. I’ve lived long enough to know that what does get done is usually the stuff I really wanted to accomplish–the other stuff not so much.  The lesson for me is only make promises to myself I plan to keep. The other thing about my own process of reflection is the core knowledge that I have no control over nouns (people, places and things). I can only control my own thinking and the behavior that comes from it. For me, that’s the whole game.

Enough of the set up, here’s my reflections on the year past:

The things that went well in 2012.
In my last “official year-end rant” I was thinking about a deeper connection to purpose…the very reason why I make goals and work so hard to achieve them. I’m delighted to share that “purpose” with my readers once again

“My purpose is to share my talent, expertise, knowledge and wisdom helping creative people BELIEVE and SEE their vision for a bigger future. I love to create and express ideas, forms and structures people can use as maps and vehicles for their success journey.

I’m so happy and grateful NOW that I am creating the success I desire doing what really matters to me. I love to collaborate with successful people who value my contributions to their success. All that’s required for my success is available to me at all times. I am creating the life I desire in an easy and relaxed manner, in a healthy and positive way.”

This guides all my strategic thinking about creating success in my life. So what went well in 2012 was a deeper connection and continued realization that I am fully engaged in this purpose. This year, I’ve had several important opportunities to work with and advise some amazing creative and successful entrepreneurs in 2012. Here’s the list:

• helping the CEO of a technology startup build a value proposition that would guide how that value would be expressed with customers in the marketplace.

• helping the Founders and CEO of a mailing service company reinvent their business as a premier digital printing company in their market.

• helping the CEO of a health centered, functional beverage company, refine its brand strategy and distribution opportunities at more national grocery retailers.

• helping the CEO (and her team) of a national PR firm reposition itself as a strategic communications company serving global technology clients.

• helping the CEO of a parenting products company discover the core attributes of their target customer segment and develop a compelling brand story to guide the future marketing of their products worldwide.

• helping the Founding Partners of an information technology consulting firm reinvent their business for their next level of growth.

• helping my partners and colleagues in professional and business development create and deliver new products in their businesses.

All these engagements were centered in my core purpose “creating new value”. Each of these amazing opportunities allowed me to serve the growth and expansion of others. My professional life is now fully established and anchored in this mission and purpose.

2012 was the year all my dreaming, planning and doing over the past four years finally came into real form.

What didn’t go as planned in 2012.
Of course not everything went according to my perfect plan. There were many things that did not get accomplished as I had hoped for. This is an equally important list for me as well. Here there are clues for planning where I will spend my energy going forward. I ask myself “are these things really important?” The answer is yes and they didn’t get done!

• I still have not completed my goal of writing my book on “doing what matters”.

• I did not meet my goal of 1000 subscribers to the White Hot Center. I’m nowhere near that. Currently there are 250 subscribers to the blog who receive my posts directly via email. My web site stats, while growing, are still significantly below my goal of 10,000 page views. I continue to be frustrated over this process.

• I was not successful in my goal of developing and conducting four “Quantum Leap” business development workshops in 2012.

• I have not lived up to my “one-post-a-week” publishing schedule here on the blog. Of course this is linked directly to my disappointing web statistics.

• I did not meet the financial goals I had set for myself. I am not the type of person to count money as the only win in business, but strong financial performance is essential to growth. Money is blood…like humans; a business can’t live without it.

• I didn’t follow through with the required focus on some of my projects this past year. I still struggle with too much focus on the urgent, and not enough focus and commitment to the important. What’s important to me continues to take a back seat and this frustrates me to no end.

So there you have it!  That’s my deal for 2012. In my next post, I’ll be sharing some of my goals and aspirations for 2013. Life is good indeed. Please feel free to share your story in the comments.

Thank you all for reading and leaving your comments and likes regarding the work here on the White Hot Center. I am grateful that I can continue to grow this idea to help you create a bigger future. To your inspired success!

Happy Holidays to all!

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