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I’ve been theming my years for some time now. It’s a fun exercise that helps me focus on what the year should represent at a high level. Theming your year is an ideal way to get out of overwhelm too.

Let’s face it: we arm ourselves with the latest in productivity, and before you know it we’re beating ourselves up over goals, to do’s and the like. I say just sit back, relax, and ask yourself this question: “What do I want this year to be about, exactly?”

See what comes up for you. There are no right or wrong answers. There are some tips to help you birth a theme that speaks to you. (Or if you are visual, a theme that’s the big picture. And for the kinesthetic folk out there, a theme you can really grab a hold of.)

Here’s another way of looking at it: kind of reminds me of the Chinese calendar. Each year represents a simple concept–in this case, an animal.

Now according to this year’s Chinese calendar 2008 is… “The Year Of The Rat”
(That explains the giant paper mache’ rat I saw adorning a Rose Bowl float at the parade earlier this year.)

So what is my theme for 2008: Drum roll please: “2008: The Year Of Completion”

I recently shared the theme idea with my mastermind and everyone truly embraced the idea.

Why do this? First, it’s a great way to focus your energy and keep the momentum going. Second, it helps your year stand for something. And third, and perhaps most important, it helps you be accountable to YOURSELF, always a challenge for the entrepreneur.

So, here are some tips to help successfully theme your 2008 (and subsequent years)

• Make the theme short and punchy: no sentences, one or two words MAX

• The theme should be broad enough to encapsulate personal, professional and spiritual practices
• The theme should be consistent with your values as well as your mission and purpose

To get you started, let me share a few themes from years past. Notice how each theme was representative of key activity during that year. (Indicated in parentheses.)

• Transformation (career change)
• Growth (went back to school, so too speak)
• Adventure (traveled for 7 weeks that year)

So get after it people, let’s see what kind of theme you can come up with. Share your theme with me in the comments. I look forward to your inspired actions and can’t wait to see some mind-blowing themes.

Tags: goals, PR, Productivity, themes