I woke up this morning and realized that we’re two weeks away from the beginning of the New Year. How does that song go? “I hear the ticking of the clock, I’m lying here the room’s pitch dark” (Alone by Heart or the cast of Glee for my fellow Gleeks)

It’s December 19th, kids, and we’re all staring down the barrel of the same reality: the clock is ticking and no matter how you look at it, we are approaching the final days of 2011 and the beginning of a New Year.

Something became very clear to me this morning (well as soon as I finished singing, that is): You must use the remaining days of this year to achieve two objectives:

  1. Finish the current year strong. Consider the remaining few days of this year as a now or never opportunity to finish the year strong and to exceed your expectations that you had set at the beginning of the year.
  2. Establish a fast start game plan for making 2012 the best year of your life, both personally and professionally.

Let me ask you: have you been successful in achieving the goals you set for yourself this year?  I’ll be honest, I’ve been super successful in some areas and not so successful in others.  Where I was most successful is the areas where I had a clear productivity strategy.  A clear plan of how to get the task done!  Let’s cut right to the chase, by looking at the results of your actions year to date, that REALITY tells you if you have been successful or not in achieving the goals you set at the beginning of 2011.

As it relates to your goals for 2011, your demonstrated actions have allowed you to be in one of three positions.

You have either:

  1. Exceeded your expectations of what you thought you could achieve.
  2. Met expectations of what you set out to accomplish.
  3. Fallen below your desired expectations of what you wanted to accomplish.

Check. Check. And check.

Unfortunately, in today’s economy, far too many people find themselves struggling and are well below where they would like to be.

The GOOD NEWS is that regardless of the position you are currently in, you CAN fulfill both objectives of finishing the year strong and starting the New Year fast.

Here’s how you can:

As someone who is very goal oriented, I’m well aware that you probably began this year with great hope and determination. I know I did!

I’m also well aware that many goals and plans fall far from being realized. Again, I’m using my experience as the example here.

THE SOLUTION: A Simple Productivity Strategy

So what specifically can you do in order to capture the brass ring?

Work harder?… Longer?

You don’t stand a chance of succeeding with that strategy, yet that is exactly what the majority of people will do.  It’s exactly what I did for part of the year and i can tell you it doesn’t work very well for very long.

Why not do something entirely different, why not focus on saying NO!

I know, I know… you have a tough time with that.  So do I, at times.

Consisting of two letters and one syllable, the word “No” can be considered to be one of the most powerful words in your vocabulary.

It’s the easiest word for setting a limit, holding firm to boundaries, and being clear about what you will or will not do. It is a word of pure power that is both inner and out directed.

You will be a lot more productive once you recognize that:

  1. “No” is not a dirty word, negative word, nor is it a selfish word. Learning to say “No” is liberating as it frees up your time to focus on your key priorities.
  2. You are in complete control of how you spend your time and your life. Saying “No” allows you more time and energy to pursue your goals and wildest ambitions.
  3. Saying, “No,” increases the value of the things you say, “Yes” to. Your success in life requires a short “Yes” list, and a long “No” list. The key is an awareness and prioritization of your “Yes” list, and firm boundaries around your “No” list as QUICKLY as possible.

Saying “NO” is the most strategic decision you can make. You improve yourself, your family, and your organization’s effectiveness — IMMEDIATELY!

“No” is empowering because it simplifies. You will succeed on the basis of what, where and how you say “no”. And “NO” allows you to get more control over your daily life and activities — IMMEDIATELY!

We need to say “NO”, but we’re not very good at it. It took me a while to get good at it and I still fumble every once in a while. Sometimes it’s a little too easy to let the “no’s” creep back in… especially when we forget what we’ve planned.

For these remaining days of this year and to ensure a fast start to 2012, you must resolve to give “NO” the strategic resolve it deserves.

Later this week, in the second part of this post, I’ll share FIFTEEN simple, effective and empowering strategies (personal and professional) that you can use to get results — IMMEDIATELY!

In the meantime, here’s a great resource which you’ll definitely want to check out: A FREE Goal Setting Toolkit.  You can snag yours at

http://www.goalsguy.com/Affiliate/tgg.php?id=1035883 <<– Yup that’s my affiliate code.  I followed the 100 Day Challenge at the beginning of 2011 and can honestly say it’s the reason I’ve had my most successful personal and professional year since the economy turned.

Stayed tuned for part 2!