I can hardly believe it but, 2016 has finally arrived! Now that the presents are unwrapped and the party guests have gone home, its time to set your sights on what will make this your BEST YEAR YET!

However, while 45% of the population sets New Year’s Resolutions, only 8% actually follows through and achieves them. So, why do so few of us manage to beat the odds and keep our resolutions or achieve our new goals? My theory is that most of us don’t develop an actual PLAN to help us reach our goals.

All too often we return to work after the holidays and get bogged down with projects, meetings and deadlines. When day-to-day tasks get in the way, it’s hard to step back and get the perspective you need to stay focused on achieving those big audacious goals.

Not to worry, we’ve got you covered! As part of my ongoing commitment to helping leaders realize their full potential, I’ve crafted a quick exercise to help.

3 big questions to focus on your biggest goals

Pulled from our Strategic Planning Toolkit this fast and easy challenge will help you identify your goals for the year and begin to develop a step-by-step plan to actually make them happen.

1. WHAT: What do you want to achieve during 2016?

Be specific. Make your goals realistic and achievable. Also, be sure that each goal will deliver value to you, your family, your friends or your career. You can also answer these questions for your organization or for specific teams.

2. WHY: Why do you want to achieve these goals? What is your inspiration and rationale?

Understanding your “why” is important, as it unleashes your core causes and passions. Identifying your inspiration and the impact you want to have will help you become a powerful, purpose-driven leader.

3. HOW: How will you get to where you want to go? What high-level actions and bite-sized steps must you take? What are your deadlines for each step? What resources do you need during each step?

Knowing which next-best-step to take will ensure you are always moving forward toward your goals. Being aware of any resources or assistance you will need along the way will help you create a plan that is realistic and achievable.

Plan, document and share.

I’ve created a simple worksheet for you to use (seen below) to document your responses. Click here to download the worksheet and use it to ask yourself the three questions above, for the three most important areas of your life. I’ve included You, Family & Friends and Career as leaders typically think these areas are the most critical. However, feel free to change these categories to whatever is most important for you.

Now, give yourself a maximum of 30 minutes to do this exercise.

Don’t spend too much time on this – you don’t need to. You’ll get the best results with a small amount of focused planning. If you need more room, use your own chart or paper. If you want to get creative, you can use pictures or drawings of your goals to help bring it to life.

Once you’ve filled in all the blanks, review your goals to see if they are achievable. If it’s too much, you can scale it back. I recommend three goals in each category, as this is an achievable number that can have a huge impact on your life.

When you’re satisfied with your answers, put this chart in a place where you will see it every day. For example, you can print it and hang it above your computer. That way, your goals will stay top of mind throughout the year.

You can also share this grid with a friend, family member or co-worker and have them hold you accountable to making it happen. You’re more likely to make your dreams a reality when someone is cheering you on.

Let me know in the comments below what it was like for you to complete this exercise. We would love to hear about the goals you’re working on!