What will your year 2020 look like? Review, assess and set goals
Credit to Author: Hazel Morley| Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2020 04:14:13 +0000
Every year offers an opportunity for a new beginning; for a fresh start. If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to look ahead and set some new goals and targets for 2020.
Review the positives from 2019
It is common for some of us to end a year feeling deflated and disappointed with the things we didn’t get done, or the things we wish had happened. Reviewing the ‘wins’ and positive memories from 2019 can help us to acknowledge what we did achieve, including the experiences or moments we enjoyed, to get us in the right frame of mind to set some new goals. It can help to look at photos, a calendar or journal, anything that will jog the memory of the past year. Here are a few prompts to get started:
• What was one of the best decisions you made?
• Who was an important part of your life last year? (an amazing friend, family member, neighbour, colleague…?)
• What barriers and challenges did you overcome?
• What, or who, made a positive impact on you?
• What one thing did you get done, or change, that you are most proud of?
• What experience are you most grateful for?
• What was the biggest risk you took that paid off?
• What was the most important lesson learned?
Create a clear sense of purpose for 2020
This is always a good place to start because we know that a clear sense of purpose is good for our mental health and wellbeing. Without a clear idea of what’s most important to us we may spend our time reacting and responding to other people’s needs and expectations of us.; living our life on their terms, by their rules. We may end up compromising too much in order to suit others and as a result, end up feeling resentful, as if we are sacrificing our own happiness for theirs.
• What kind of a person are you?
• What do you stand for?
• What are the values, beliefs and principles that guide your decision making?
• What do you want to achieve? What kind of contribution do you aspire to make?
• Who do you want to spend your time with? Who matters most to you?
Begin at the end
Now is the perfect time to use our imagination creatively and positively to plan for success. Our brain cannot tell the difference between a real event and something we have vividly imagined. Imagine that it is December 31, 2020 and you have enjoyed your ideal year:
• How are you feeling?
• What have you achieved?
• What are you proud of?
• How have you grown?
• What’s changed for the better in: your relationships/work/home/health/finances, etc.?
• What was your experience of work? Of your home life?
Pick three words for success
Our brain needs a regular reminder to stay on track and a nudge to get us back on track when we lose our way (it will happen, we’re only human). Choosing three words that are relevant to our goals and the lifestyle we want to create can serve this purpose. Pick three words that apply across a few different areas of life (relationships, work, health, etc.).
For example:
Connect – build my community,help others make connections, use my voice, share my message.
Move – make time for regular exercise and get going on the projects I’m working on.
Play – a reminder not to take things too seriously and find the joy in what I do.
Stay productive rather than busy
With an average lifetime lasting approximately 28,000 days, life is short. While our lives may be busier than ever before, they may not necessarily be productive, and we are not always focused. When we commit to stop doing or spend less time doing those activities that distract us from our goals and intentions we will create more time for those things that make us feel satisfied and fulfilled.
• What one small thing could you do less of that would make a big difference?
• What do you need to stop doing completely?
Focus on what, rather than how
We often limit ourselves when we realize we don’t know how to achieve what we want. What matters most is that we decide what we want and worry less about how we are going to make it happen. Once we have decided, our brain will get working on the ‘how’ and we will figure it out in time, provided we are highly motivated and committed to the goal.
• What one thing would you be thrilled to have/be/do this year but don’t yet know how to make it happen?
Put a date on your dreams
A dream becomes a goal once we commit to a date. Our brain needs this direction in order to focus. ‘Someday’ is not a day of the week; it isn’t specific enough. When we aim for a target date our brain is far more likely to hit it.
Make space
Our brains aren’t designed to constantly be processing input so it’s not healthy to plan every waking moment. Allow space for spontaneity – for those last-minute decisions to do something different, or nothing at all – and flexibility – to adapt if needs be to the inevitable challenges and unexpected events. The year 2020 can be all we plan for, and more.