It’s officially December!
Can you believe it?
We’re in the final month of 2019. The final year of a DECADE.
I don’t know about you but so much has happened in the last year, let alone the past 10….
Bill Gates famously said:
“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”
As I’ve been reflecting back on the last decade, I can see how true this quote really is….
I’ve always been a big new year’s resolution/goal setter type of person.
And I believe that there’s an important step we often forget before we get into setting the “right” goals in the new year.
I know, I know…the new year is still a month away, but I think it’s important to set aside some time to close out the year with intention and have goals already lined up so that you can rest and rejuvenate over the holiday season knowing that you’ve got a plan in place.
So let’s dive into the missing key that’s needed BEFORE you set any new goals. Period.
Short on time, you can read on for the transcript.
Before diving into the shiny, new energy of 2020, it’s imperative that we take stock of the good, the bad and the ugly of 2019.
Everything that’s happened this year is to be witnessed, acknowledged and celebrated.
There’s always going to be a lot outside of our control.
BUT!
Equally there’s a lot that is within our control (namely how we react and respond to situations, scenarios and people).
Before going into 2020, I believe in assessing what we’ve learned and how we’re going to pivot and refine going forward.
Once you take a good look at 2019, celebrating and releasing everything that’s passed, then you clear the pathway for miracles and magic to come.
And who doesn’t want more of that?!
Taking the time out to assess what’s happened in the past allows you to tune into the soul of what is working and what’s not in your life and career.
When you’re able to use your mind and soul together that’s a beautiful, beautiful thing and that’s when you find true alignment. Mmmmm.
Rather than have this be a super daunting and scary task, you can simply review the year gone by, by asking 4 easy questions (time required: 10 minutes)
- What were your top 3 accomplishments over the past year? Why?
- What were your top 3 challenges this year? What did you learn?
- What will you do more of in 2020?
- What will do you do less of in 2020?
The rationale behind each of the questions is simple:
Question 1: What were your top 3 accomplishments over the past year? Why?
We can be really quick to discount all of our achievements, constantly focusing on what we need to improve. I believe in working with your zone of genius and reinforcing what’s already working. Plus you’re proving to yourself that there’s some good stuff going on in your life and you know how to achieve your goals. Sometimes we need to write this down and see it in order to believe it.
Question 2: What were your top 3 challenges this year? What did you learn?
There will always be events, circumstances and people in our lives that can seemingly make life difficult.
It can be hard to face but I truly believe that the only thing we can do in these situations is to ask ourselves how we want to handle it, how we can communicate better and what the lesson is that we’re taking from this particular challenge.
For example, if you have a difficult boss and it’s been increasingly difficult to work together this year. Maybe you learned how to communicate better, or how to say no.
Or perhaps there is still something there to learn….to have a frank and direct conversation about the situation, to stand up for yourself. There are many lessons to be learned. Don’t gleam over this step!
Question 3: What will you do more of in 2020?
The usual suspects are things like exercise, sleep, eating more vegetables. But I want you to think of what’s important to you.
Look back to question 1, what lead you to your accomplishments? Were you doing something different with your health? Did you have a mindfulness practice? What were you doing that allowed you to create success? Add that to your list of things to do more of in 2020.
Question 4: What will you do less of in 2020?
Too often we think that we have to do MORE in order to achieve more. But actually it’s imperative that we take things off our plate too because we can’t do it all.
Think of this mantra: Do Less, But Better.
How would that impact your life?
Perhaps you genuinely need to do less at work or maybe reduce the commitments you have after work.
You may even consider things like less complaining, less wallowing in negativity, less dwelling in a funk, speaking fewer mean words to yourself.
Don’t gleam over this step either. Asking myself this question has been a game-changer for me.
BONUS TIP: If you want to go even deeper with these questions you can bring your reflections back over the decade by asking yourself:
- What were your top 3 accomplishments over the past decade? Why?
- What were your top 3 challenges this past decade? What did you learn?
- What will you do more of in the next decade?
- What will you do less of in next decade?
Now I’d love to hear from you.
Share in the comments below:
- Which question you are most excited about answering and why?
- Do you have any game-changing questions you ask yourself before closing out the year?
Wishing you all joy filled December.
Next week I’ll be coming to you with more tips and tools to help you close out the year strong and set those soul aligned goals in 2020.
With love,
