• With Hannah

Creating a year review

Prompts get you ready to set New Year Goals

29th December 2018 .

It's that time of year when we're all scrambling around trying to think about goals and make plans. Goal setting doesn't have to be complicated. What is important, when starting the process, is looking at what's gone before. I like to do a simple year review before jumping into setting exciting goals.

Look back before you go forward

It's all too easy to get swept up in the 'New Year, new you' vibe without thinking about what is working (and not working) already in your life. If you don't know what 'season' you are in, how can you set yourself exciting and challenging goals? By season I mean the reality of where you currently are in your life. For example, if you are in the first month of motherhood, setting yourself a goal of climbing Kilimanjaro in two months is likely to end in disappointment and frustration. Choosing to set that as a goal for the following year and working at gentle post-birth recovery and training over a year may be more achievable. It's all very well reaching for the stars but as a high percentage of people who set NY goals have discarded them by mid-Feb, we need to get a bit more detailed and embrace the reality of our lives. By looking at the big picture and imagining what we might want our life to look like a year from now, we can begin to see the gap between where we are now and where we want to be. Then we can set some intentions of how to get there.

Don't shy away from the things that didn’t work well in the previous year. We can learn from our mistakes and look with a new perspective at what has challenged us and how to take action over the year ahead.

Take a moment to reflect

I set goals and intentions in Autumn as I like that 'start of term' feeling you get in September. It's also my birthday month so it feels like a good time for me to take stock. If you prefer to get motivated in January, here are a few prompts for you to work though. This is a great opportunity to take a moment for yourself; look within; and reflect.

1. What went well in 2018?

What did I do/ experience that I am proud of/ loved/ want more of?

(Don't hold back on this, let the list flow. This is an opportunity to celebrate all successes.)

2. What challenged you?

(What lessons did I lean that I can apply to the year ahead? What could I do differently this year?).

3. What are you willing to let go?

What projects/ goals have been left lingering that I can move on from to make space for something new?

What moments of guilt or unease can you make peace with and let go of?

4. Any insights?

What have you learned this year that you didn't know about yourself before?

5. Find the joy

What makes you happy that you can continue to nurture and enjoy without setting any goals?

I highly recommend writing down the answers to these prompts, letting your thoughts flow freely on the page often opens up another level of insight.

Good luck!