How has 2012 treated you gorgeous? I do hope with all the grace and goodness you deserve. I love the energy of the Year End. It’s the perfect time to pause and reflect. I must confess I have had a thrilling year, the column in “Bite” with the New Zealand Herald on Mondays has been super fun and… my book is written! That was a massive goal for me and to have it nearly complete is very exciting indeed. Of my 6 goal strategy (all outlined for you in the “How to be a Time Ninja” e-book…just sign up on the home page to receive your FREE copy) I have achieved all but one thing I set out to do this year, so I have a real glow of satisfaction.
Before diving into setting goals for a new year I think it’s really important to review the past year. What has worked, and why. What didn’t and why. It’s so easy to get carried away with the shininess of new goals when the foundation for achievement of them more than likely lies in the review of what worked the previous year. What did we make time for? What just didn’t happen ‘cos life got in the way?
These are the questions I work through to do just that. Back in my corporate days we would always have a review of the past year before setting the budgets and initiatives for the next. To do the same but with the business of our life it seems to be to be even more important to carve out a little time for that review. So, diarise an hour or two with yourself, you are the CEO of You Inc. and do that review. It will form the best foundation for a kick-ass 2013.
10 questions to review your year:
- What am I most proud of in 2012?
- What is the most valuable thing I learned about myself in 2012?
- What do I wish I had done more of in 2012?
- What did I wish I had done less of in 2012?
- What was the worst thing about 2012? What would I not want repeated? What did I learn from this experience?
- What three words sum up 2012 for me?
- What did I think I would achieve in 2012, but didn’t. Why not? What did I achieve that was unexpected?
- Who have been the most important and supportive people in my life in 2012?
- If I could change one thing about 2012 what would it be?
- The three things I am most grateful for in 2012 are …
Take your time and reflect on your progress and lessons learned. And then symbolically close the year, in whatever way feels good for you. Give thanks for making it to the end of another year and learning what you have learned. Then you can save your answer paper somewhere safe, or you can make a little ceremony to burn it, bury it, rip it into shreds and let it float out to sea…release that energy of the year that is past.
Reviewing and closing 2012 will create a beautiful clean slate for 2013. More wellbeing blog posts to come of course on ways to make it everything you dream of. Wishing you every good thing for that big shiny New Year ahead.
