At the end of 2014, I posted this blog. Personal reflection is a critical element for learning and growth, while planning is essential for goal achievement. When done together, reflection and planning are very powerful!
2020 is here – do you envision something different, bigger, or better for yourself this year? If so, what are you going to do to get there? You’ll likely need a plan, and you must take action; action which is intentional and consistent, and which can also often be uncomfortable.
New Year’s resolutions are popular this time of year, however, the failure rate for them is said to be more than 80 percent and most people lose their way by mid-February. There are many reasons why we fail at our resolutions: maybe they’re not specific enough, or we’re not motivated enough, or we get too busy with other stuff or fall to temptation.
No matter what your New Year’s resolution is — whether it’s related to your professional or personal life — getting there can be difficult.
But action mitigates fear. It moves people beyond their comfort zone. Action is the catalyst to create the momentum necessary to deliver real, lasting change.
Looking Back on 2019
In reflecting on this past year, I suggest asking yourself these types of questions:
- What stands out most to me about my work and my life? What themes or patterns do I see?
- Who or what inspired me the most?
- What were my greatest accomplishments and what enabled me to achieve them?
- Where did I face my biggest challenges? What lessons did I learn from them?
- What relationships grew and which ones faded?
- Who, and what, am I most grateful for?
Looking Forward to 2020
In terms of planning for the future, asking yourself questions such as these will help you determine what is most important for you to accomplish this year and how to get there:
- What am I longing for — really, deeply longing for — this year?
- What is my greatest aspiration for my life in the year ahead?
- What will truly nurture me and my well-being this year?
- A year from now, how would I like to see my life?
- Can I pursue nourishment and achieve the goals I want to achieve? What if these things are in opposition to, or conflict with, one another?
- What relationships – family, friends, colleagues, clients – do I most want to invest in?
- What have I been holding onto that is no longer serving me? What do I need to let go of?
- What needs to change?
- What are my immediate next steps?
- What three commitments can I make in the next 30 days that will positively impact my success?
- How am I going to measure progress toward my desired outcomes?
- What will be different when I cross the finish line? How will that feel?
- What are the consequences if nothing changes this year?
Feeling ready? Good. I hope you are able to set some quiet time aside to reflect back and to plan forward. If you are able to do so and to follow through on your plans, you will have a much better chance of achieving what you hope to in 2020.
All the best in your journey – and if we can be of any assistance, please let us know.