Right now is the perfect time to think about the past year and set new goals for 2017. This is the time to reflect, to learn, and to do better. What did you do well this past year? What areas can you improve in? Use our 5 tips to evaluate the past and make the future even better.
1. Reflect on the Past Year
Both successes and failures are experiences you can learn from. Evaluate your goals, and determine what areas you were successful in and what areas you still need to improve. You should also consider your quality of life. Are you happy and content? Do you feel valued and appreciated? If so, then you are probably on the right track. If not, how could you improve your life and your overall happiness?
It is also a good time to evaluate your relationships. What is working well? What areas can you improve to make your relationships better? Are there any toxic relationships that you need to limit in the upcoming year? While no relationship is perfect, they are typically only as good as the amount of work you put into them. Whether it is with family, friends, or coworkers, improving your relationships will help to improve your overall quality of life.
2. Follow Through
Have you ever started on a project only to get sidetracked and not finish it in a timely manner? Is there a particularly loathsome task that you have been procrastinating on completing? Make it a goal to follow through and finish what you start. Seeing a task through to completion will give you a sense of accomplishment, and will help to alleviate the dread that often accompanies a delayed task. Do it right away, and put it behind you so you can focus on other things.
3. Set Attainable Goals
Dreaming big is a good thing, but sometimes it can lead us to set unrealistic goals. Set small, attainable goals that will help you make progress towards your long term goals. This will help you feel encouraged as you achieve small victories along the way. In contrast, setting unrealistic goals will only set you up for discouragement and failure when you don’t reach them in a timely manner.
4. Focus on the Important Things
Decide what your top priorities are in life. Do you want to advance your career? Do you want to travel and see the world? Do you want to reach a new fitness milestone? Whatever your top priorities are, make sure that your daily actions are helping you achieve them. If you aren’t careful, it is easy to get so caught up in monotonous everyday tasks that you don’t make progress towards your top priorities. Be intentional with your time, and make sure that your most important tasks are being addressed.
5. Make Yourself a Priority
Many times we get so involved with putting in hours at work, focusing on family, helping our friends, and volunteering in our community that we neglect to focus on ourselves. While all those things are good, they should not usurp time spent doing things that you enjoy. Make sure to carve out time to pursue things that make you grow, or participate in a favorite hobby.
No matter whether 2016 was a good year or a bad year for you, evaluating what happened can help you start 2017 off right. Continue what worked well, and make changes where necessary to make your life even better. You will be sowing the seeds of success and will be rewarded with a healthier, happier life.