Nancy and I spent last week at Diamanté Los Cabos. On Friday, Tiger Woods and Roger Clemens were there to help open the new Tiger Woods designed Oasis Short Course.

As you will see in the video at the end of the 12 holes, to the shock of many, they played catch. WATCH: Tiger Woods throws heat playing catch with Roger Clemens on a golf course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6E4qdVLUPo

 

What I enjoy most about following Tiger Woods is that he is always working to get better.

I spent my career working each and every day to get better. I coach lawyers who work every day to get better.

Do you want to get better in 2017? Here’s an exercise to give you a start:

Why set goals for yourself?

1. Setting goals is the first step in taking responsibility for your career.
2. Studies show that people who set goals perform at a higher level.
3. Setting goals that are meaningful to you will energize you.
4. Setting goals will help you decide how to use your time more effectively.
5. Setting goals will make your work more enjoyable and put you in the zone.

If setting goals is such a great thing to do, why don’t associates do it?

1. Some view their work in law as a job and not a career.
2. Others are overwhelmed by doing the daily billable work. John Lennon said: “Life is what happens when you are planning.”
3. Some firms only care about an associate’s billable hours and not about their career development.
4. Some work for partners who don’t set goals and seem to be doing ok.
5. Some fear they will be held accountable to achieve what they have set as goals.
6. Some don’t know what they want or where to start.

How to set goals?

• The four aspects of your life.
  Physical/Economic
  Mental
  Emotional/Relationships
  Spiritual
• Begin with the what and the why before getting to the how.

1. Brainstorm-Write down what first comes to your mind.
2. Prioritize by importance.
3. Ask why achieving the goal is important. If you do not have a good answer to why, you will not have the discipline and commitment to do it.
4. Determine what obstacles you will need to overcome.
5. Figure out who can help you.
6. Develop action items you will be able to check off. Achieving the action items are goals themselves.
7. Identify next actions and start.
8. Set up a system to keep track of how you are doing. Doing a great job at setting goals has no value if you do not take actions to achieve them.

Have you ever heard of John Goddard? He is the real “Indiana Jones.” I was intrigued by the many adventures he wanted to experience and I especially appreciated what he wanted to learn over his life. After reviewing, Goddard’s lifetime goals, I set my own. Later I divided them into the four aspects of my life identified above.