It's that time again. When we bid adieu to the present year and welcome the new year, enthusiastic about setting new goals and developing new habits. Before you start doing that, here are four things you should do to better plan and prepare for the upcoming year.
Make a list of this year's accomplishments.
Before you start focusing on what is next, take the time to review this past year. What did you accomplish? Which accomplishment brought you the most joy? Which one makes you the most proud? Which one left you feeling meh? Making a list of accomplishments before setting new objectives sets us in a grateful mindset and reminds us we are capable of doing big things.
Make a list of things to eliminate.
It's better to eliminate things from your list than to constantly add. To help you prioritize what activities to engage with in the coming year, write down the biggest lessons learned from the current year. What worked? What didn't work? What people, activities, commitments triggered positive emotions? Which ones triggered negative emotions? What got in the way? What was my part in it? What do I need to avoid moving forward? Learning from past performance, experiences and relationships, before setting new goals, helps us make more informed decisions on how to use our time and resources more efficiently.
Outline your legacy.
Very few people take the time to draft their Life Goal, an outline of what they want their legacy to be or how they'd like to be remembered. Most people associate legacy with wealth and assets that get passed on to the next generation. Something that happens in the future. But legacy is about more than just the financial assets you bestow on others. It's about the actions in which we choose to engage (or not engage) on a daily basis. How people think of us now is how people will think of us after we are long gone. Knowing what’s important to you, what drives you, and how you want to be remembered creates tremendous clarity in how you should live your life each and every day — and how you’ll eventually impact others.
Organize your values.
Values are the fundamental beliefs governing our lives. They are the principles helping us determine what we go after and what we avoid. They determine our actions and influence how we interact with others. Yet, many people react to life without ever considering what is truly meaningful and impactful to them. This is one of the reasons why so many people become distracted by material things and lose track of what truly matters. Most of our values are conditioned and programmed into our lives. Formed and influenced by the way we are raised, life events, past results and expectations for the future. As such, we rarely take the time to question them. Are they really my values? Are they serving me? Do I need to re-organize the order of importance to achieve my goals? Set time to evaluate and re-design your value hierarchy before you set new goals, this will ensure you are going after the things most meaningful to you.
Do these four things before you start planning new goals and we promise you'll be better equipped for the new year.
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