It’s that time of year again when we prepare to set our goals (not resolutions) for the New Year. Before you get started setting your goals, it’s important to reflect back on the past year. I call this creating a snapshot of where you’ve been and how you’ve spent your time and energy over the past 365 days, and I’ve created this tool to help you look back on the past year.
Here are three reasons that this matters:
Identifying Achievements and Challenges – Investing time to reflect on the past year allows you to assess your accomplishments and recognize the challenges you faced. Understanding what went well and what presented difficulties allows us to envision what’s possible and frame our future.
Learning from Mistakes and Adjusting Strategies – Being self-aware and honestly examining past mistakes and setbacks is crucial for personal and professional growth. Be bold when you’re doing this, don’t B.S. yourself, and use this to identify pitfalls you can avoid in the new year.
Aligning Goals with Purpose and Priorities – If your goals last year weren’t aligned with your purpose and priorities, there’s a high likelihood you didn’t achieve them. Alignment ensures that your goals are meaningful and fulfilling, increasing your motivation and commitment to achieving them in the new year – especially when challenges come your direction, and they will.
The Takeaway
Before you start setting your goals for 2024, slow down for just a little bit to check in with yourself and take inventory of your 2023. Download your 2023 Snapshot Tool here to help you ask the right questions, and enjoy this time looking back on the past year…
John
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