Another year has ended and a new one has begun.
2017 has seen loads of change for my family and me, and I know that 2018 will be the same.
A time for pause and reflection
I find that in the New Year I reflect on my achievements of the past year, and consider what I want for the year ahead. It’s a time to pause and take a breath.
I like to think about what I achieved, and what I am proud of. I consider the things that I learnt. The times I got out of my comfort zone. The times I helped someone. I think about fun times I spent with my family and the new adventures we had.
I also reflect on the things that I didn’t do well – the times I let my fear take over. When I behaved poorly. When I was lazy or when I just didn’t handle things the way I should have. When I didn’t capitalise on opportunities. When I said “no, I’m too busy”.
I try not to beat myself up too much about the things I didn’t do well, but it is important to recognise those things, otherwise we will never improve them.
When you think about 2017, what did you achieve? What are you proud of? How did you handle challenges that came your way? What could you have done better?
What will 2018 bring for you?
How will you make the changes that you want for yourself and those around you? In order to get where you want to be, consider:
- What will you stop doing?
- What will do less of?
- What will you keep doing?
- What will you do more of?
- What do you want to do differently?
- What do you want to learn this year?
- What do you want to change?
Sometimes we know we want changes in our lives. Change can be hard, especially if we don’t know exactly what we want to change. And if we don’t know the WHAT, then the HOW is nearly impossible. We just know that A change is needed.
We may only have a vague idea about what we want to change. We are often clearer about the outcomes we want (more financial freedom, a holiday, less stress, to own a house, to have more time to enjoy our lives, to spend more time with our families), but don’t know how to achieve it.
The outcomes or goals we think about are often centred around money and personal happiness.
When we know the outcome, we need to work out a plan to get there. We might be wondering …
- How can I improve work life balance?
- How can I earn more money or earn a second income?
- How can I reduce job stress?
You can absolutely achieve these things. I have done it (read about it here), and you can too.
Start with one thing at a time.
Be brave.
Take that opportunity.
Make 2018 the year that you dive in and just do it.
Happy New Year!
I love getting new “food for thought” ideas for the new year. I often get stuck in the same rut of what I want to quit doing or what I want to start doing. I am going to make a list of things that I want to learn this year. That is a great addition to my continued self-improvement plan. Thank you!
Hi Angie, thanks for your comment. Let me know how you go with your list. I’m sure 2018 will be a great one for you.
I like how you lay out most of the questions I ask myself this time of year. And, my hope is that each year, I come up with different and better answers.
But, such is life. And life should be a process of improvement. Being better and better at who we are.
Someone once said, “If you don’t evolve, you dissolve.” I totally agree!
You may be interested in another quote from Brad Paisley that also may be relevant to your New Year article.
“I don’t stare at a sheet and try to think of a good word to use. I try to see where the story should go.”
Happy New Year, Melissa!
Marty
Hi Marty, thanks for visiting my site. I love those quotes. Certainly relevant and thought provoking!
Happy New Year to you too, Marty!
Cheers
Melissa