Do you feel like the targets are always moving? If change is the one thing constant in our world, then we better make an effort to understand it, embrace it and roll with it! So as the new year approaches, what changes do you need to make in your personal life and business life to achieve more peace, less stress & improved results? Here are three coaching tips to help:

1-Less is more. Peter Bregman of 18 Minutes recommends picking 5 things to focus on. Three are professional, two are personal. If your schedule is getting overloaded, consider streamlining activities and start saying “no” to things that aren’t in your focus areas and say “yes” to things that will help you maintain your focus! Peter wanted to promote his book, recruit new clients and give great service to his existing clients for his professional goals. Taking care of his mind, body and spirt and spending quality time with his family were his personal goals. What are your top 5?

2- Create the Work Life You Love! I met with a woman today who has been in one industry for 22 years. The boss, the work and the daily grind have taken their toll and she is ready to follow her dream of owning her own business. We mapped out a plan, created some action items and determined her good, better and best goals. Now she is going to write her “I Am” statement to give her that daily boost mentally to make her dreams a reality.

3-Plan Daily. In 1986 Zig Ziglar created The Performance Planner (available on Amazon) when I feel like I’m getting off track I use the journal to track my activity. There are boxes for goals for the week, daily goals activity, notes, projects, reminders & ideas, daily priority lists, quotes and tips. When people are focused, productivity is higher. Proper planning helps to reduce stress & anxiety.

The reality is that the inbox is NEVER going to be empty. So let’s prioritize what we need to do each day/week/month/quarter -whatever may apply to you. A successful entrepreneur featured in Inc. magazine recommended looking at priorities as a menu – Main Course – critical to business, Side Dish – important, Dessert – let it go. I like to Ditch, Delete or Delegate the Desserts. Side Dishes may fall in the short term/long term goal category and Main Course – as Dick Vitale says, OH – BABY! We gotta get those done.

John Cook said, “Today is yours. It will never happen again. Realize, now, it is time to start. So, what is your starting point? May your focus be clear, today.”

So as you journey through two months of holidays and embark on 2015, my hope is that you carve out some time to take a personal/business retreat to journal areas where you can do less, create more and plan daily to reach your full potential. Give yourself and your team permission to set aside some uninterrupted time to determine the goals & focus areas for next year. Whether you print them on paper, input on your I-devices or select them as your screensaver – the key is to read them daily. Reviewing the plan will give you the fuel to generate results.

Now you’re ready, now you’re set, to create positive change.