January feels like the perfect time to take stock of what you have achieved over the last year and what you have planned for the next 12 months. The post-holiday blues may be setting in, but while work is starting to ramp up again, it's an excellent opportunity to plan and prioritize a few different areas of your life, whether it be health and wellness, finances, career planning, to name a few.
Things will inevitably happen this year that will throw you off track to achieving your goals, however making plans will help you to get back up, dust yourself off and move forward with more energy than before.
"If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!"
Benjamin Franklin
Here are 5 ways to:
be you. for you.
1. Put yourself at the top of your list
The adage is true; we really can't help others until we help ourselves. Taking care of yourself and striving to reach your own goals will make you a better partner, parent and friend.Our examples have a far more significant impact on those around us than anything we might say, and taking care of your health and well-being means you'll be around longer for your loved ones too! Be sure to make time for yourself each day to work toward your goals, or to attain the lifestyle you want.
2. Take time for reflection
When planning for the year ahead, it is essential to take a look back at the year you've completed. Not to dwell, but to celebrate what you've accomplished and learned from the things that weren't so great.Here are some questions to guide you:
· Where did I spend most of my time, money, and energy this past year?
· What surprising thing happened this year?
· When did I make or save most of my money this year?
· What did I accomplish this year?
· What did I do that was courageous?
· What habits from this past year do I want to let go of, and which do I want to take into the New Year?
3. Choose a New Year theme
It's not a theme for a party, but the idea to plan and prioritize your whole year too. Your theme may be the most crucial focus of the year, and all other goals sit under the umbrella of this theme.What makes people fail to achieve their goals is trying to do everything with equal importance.
Wanting to get 9 hours of sleep a night, start a spiritual practice and get to your ideal weight all at once it's not going to work. Instead, mentally gather some of your goals and pick a dominant theme to help keep you in check throughout the year for your priorities.
Some themes may be:
· Business Building
· Parenthood
· Dating and Love
· Weight Loss/Health
· Spirituality
· Wealth Building
4. Write down your goals
Start by writing out your goals in a brainstorming session. Get everything on paper that you want to accomplish this year.Then, look at which goals relate the most to your theme, and which goals are your biggest priority.
Next, write down each goal on a separate piece of paper. Under each target, break it down into bite-sized chunks that need to get done to accomplish the goal. Hey presto – you've got your very do-able personal to-do list.
5. Schedule it
If you don't schedule it, don't expect it to happen. In other words, it's not enough to brainstorm these things; you have to turn them into reality.Have a diary to keep your goals and plans in – so you can refer back to it daily, weekly or monthly to check in on your progress, or to see where you need to rev the engines a bit more. Keeping yourself accountable and schedule in things like dinners, workouts, personal time is essential to help you stay on track. Treat your personal appointments like business appointments – you wouldn't cancel those at the last minute – so don't do it to yourself!
