A guide for reflecting and goal-setting
As you may recall, I wrote a wish list for you in last year’s December newsletter. It included one dozen ideas – like learning something new, meditating, taking breaks, prioritizing sleep, etc.– for a prosperous and healthy new year, and I encouraged you to try one a month or pick two or three.
As I looked back on my year this month, I began wondering how many people had stuck to the positive changes they committed to and accomplished the goals they wrote down for 2023.
Read Chris’s 12 wishes for you for 2023
Sticking to your goals for the new year is not always easy, but it’s not impossible, either. As we start planning for a successful and rewarding 2024, I want to help you stay on track with your personal and professional goals by sharing some tips and strategies that have worked for me.
Get reflective
Before you start writing out your list for the new year, consider first reflecting on the year that was.
Reflection gives us valuable insight about ourselves, our actions and our goals. What were your significant challenges, successes and learnings for 2023?
Get curious and get granular. How exactly was I successful? How did I stick to this new plan, create this new habit, or reach a milestone? Be specific.
Also, reflect on setbacks or failures to help you learn from your mistakes, whether they were personal, professional, or financial. Some things are out of your control, but what actions or decisions have you made that you would like a do-over on? What are the lessons learned?
This will help you to grow, move on and know yourself so you can understand your tendencies and adjust strategies or goals when necessary.
A new calendar year
After reflecting on last year, now imagine it’s December of 2024.
What are the wins that would satisfy you the most? What do you hope will happen, and what do you fear?
Visualize what you desire, a new promotion, better health, a better place in your relationship, or whatever is important to you.
Imagine you are reflecting on your most important victory and write down exactly what you did to accomplish it.
Limit yourself to two or three realistic and achievable goals.
Know the why
When you write down what you want to accomplish over the next year, be clear on the “why.” A lot of times, we are influenced by others. I should have a new car, a bigger home, a better body, or take more trips.
Ask yourself what is the positive outcome you hope to achieve with this goal and how it will improve your life or the lives of those important to you. Does it align with your values and beliefs?
Once you know the why, you can really understand why your goal matters and start thinking about the first step in moving towards that.
Know your goal
Your 2024 list may include accomplishment-related goals and habit-related goals.
Accomplishment goals usually require incremental steps, which you need to break down. For example, what must I accomplish in the first quarter to reach that goal?
If it’s a habit goal, you need to monitor daily or weekly to track your progress, whether it’s a daily 30-minute walk or date night every Thursday.
If you want to change a habit, I recommend the book Tiny Habits: The Small Changes that Change Everything, which I have found helpful, and so have many clients.
The other resource I’d check out is the Full Focus Planner, which I’ve recommended to many clients. It’s an analogue way of achieving your goals by breaking them down into incremental tasks and activities that keep you on track.
Whether it’s a habit or accomplishment in your sights for 2024, ensure you have some structure to keep your goal setting on track for 365 days.