Wow ! The start of a new year. We all start or should start with new goals. At times, maybe, it’s the completion of BIG goals started last year. Hopefully you hit the New Year up and running and had a plan. If you didn’t have a 100% completed plan, but had worked on one, be sure in these next couple days you wrap it up. Lastly, if you are reading this and are without a plan, take an hour or so and reflect and establish goals for this new year right now !

Goal setting for me is always a little bittersweet. To do some serious reflection on where you are going, you need to evaluate where you have been. I know, often I am my own worse critic. Reflecting back often highlights failures. It might be what you just didn’t do or maybe something you did more poorly than you planned. In my old days, I would have a list of 75-100 goals every year and in late December made a list of everything I failed to do. Honestly, it would depress me. Sometimes it would toss me into a “funk”. Then, one day, I realized this approach was backwards.

You need to concentrate on, focus on, what you have accomplished, what worked well and how grateful you are for all the goals you met or exceeded. You also need to reflect back on what has happened in your life, what restrictions you pushed through, how your life has changed this past year and do some serious deep reflection to tie this all together.

You need to be brutally honest with yourself and you need to forgive yourself for any shortcomings. Be sure to write down the lessons you learned and figure out what you need to adjust as you move forward.

I always suggest if you keep a gratitude journal, (you should) to carefully review the year that is about to or just closed. Take some time and think about all that has happened especially the big events of last year that quickly come to mind.

Armed with all this information, all this knowledge about YOU, figure out how to move forward on your dreams.

Convert your dreams to specific goals and establish a game plan for your life in the New Year.

It’s simple but not necessarily easy.

If you need help with your goals, establishing that gratitude journal, thinking this all through, a BIG push, more inspiration and motivation, I’m here to help. Feel free to send me your questions.

Remember, I’ve probably been where you are now and yet, I’m also,still learning how to make this whole process better.

 

Keep thinking, keep reflecting, keep learning!