As we head into the New Year and start making resolutions for what we want this year to mean and what we want to accomplish, it’s a good time to take a step back to review what we’ve been through. Then, move forward into planning a great year ahead.
Download the Journaling Sheets to help you with this exercise.
Looking Back
Take time to think about your year, good and bad. Look for areas where you’d like to improve this year. Notice things you accomplished and would like to do more of.
Using the journaling sheets, write words or phrases that occurred during the year in the corresponding quadrant. This may take some time so don’t pressure yourself to get it done in one sitting. You may need some time to think and reflect as you go.
Focus on the memories or thoughts you traded your time for each and every day. What did you do with your life and how did you spend your time? Did you spend too much time working and not experiencing life? Maybe you started a new job or quit an old one. If you did, it affected you somehow and you traded something for it.
What were some of your monumental moments in 2016 that will affect you in 2017. Who came into your life? Who left? Did you get a new animal, did a new baby arrive, did you get divorced or married? What things do you need to complete from last year that you never got around to finishing? Finally writing that book, exercising more, and taking time for you?
What worked well in your life? What isn’t working at all?
If you get stuck, ask friends and family for information that you may have forgotten. Then think about if these are things you want to take into 2017.
Now it’s time to review it all and come up with a positive title for 2017. What was the number one lesson you learned that will help you move into the New Year? What was missing from last year that you want to do differently? What do you need to leave behind? Where do you need to have closure and move on?
Looking Forward
Do it, dump it or delegate it!
Using the journaling sheets, add the events you know will be happening – weddings, birthdays, graduations. What experiences do you anticipate repeating from 2016 where you would like to have a different attitude or perspective? What do you want to create this year? You are capable of achieving more than you think you can. By writing your goals down, you will become more motivated to either achieve them or work towards them.
Think about things in categories – mental, physical, spiritual, emotional/personal growth and work. What do you want to accomplish in each of these categories. List all the possibilities; you can always pare down later. Continue thinking about what you are willing to trade your time for.
What books do you want to read, what vacations do you want to take, who do you want to spend time with, what articles do you want to write, who do you want to study with?
After you’ve listed all of your goals, it’s time to prioritize.
Ask these questions:
- Are you sure you want it? Are you willing to pay the price to get it?
- Are you committed to your goal?
- What are the most powerful beliefs you have about time, responsibility, your identity?
- What is your number one goal in each category?
- Once you have your number one goal, decide what the second and third goals should be.
In order to succeed, you need to make a plan for reaching your goals. The number one reason people fail is they don’t have a plan. Don’t rush this process, take your time to think it through and create a plan.
If you would like help obtaining these goals I can help you do that. There may be emotional baggage that is stopping you from obtaining these goals. I can help… please feel free to contact Withers Whisper for a FREE 30-minute consultation. Continue to follow our blog for great and insightful articles. Sign up for your daily whispers!