A Vision For A New Year
As we reach the end of one year and await the next, it often gives us a sense of renewed hope of things to come, goals to achieve, and changes that we may face. When that ball (or peach) drops to alert us the New Year has begun, we are often filled with excitement and exhilarated by the prospect of having a fresh start, a new beginning, and a chance to start over with renewed motivation.
As the end comes to a close and the new is seated before us, this is a good time for us to reflect on goals or resolutions we established for ourselves during this year, and identify what we would like to accomplish in the new one.
Reflect On The Current Year
- Sit down with the goals you established and review each one.
- Acknowledge and Praise yourself for the ones you were able to accomplish, even if they were only partially met, because even baby steps are steps in the right direction.
- Reflect on the goals you struggled with and did not complete.
- Identify potential barriers or problem areas: Were the goals realistic? Were there other things that needed to be achieved first, before you could focus on these goals? Are you motivated to focus on these goals? Did the goal need to be broken down into smaller, achievable, steps?
- Don’t beat yourself up. We are not always going to accomplish all of our goals in one year, it might take some time and fine tuning to get where we need to be.
Plan For The New Year
Create your new goals at the very beginning of the year to help launch your vision for the year ahead. A good way to establish your goals and vision for the year is with the use of a Vision Board. A Vision Board can be a powerful, visual, daily reminder of the goals you have established, and a motivator to reinforce the vision that guides your daily decisions and routines. There is no right or wrong way to create a Vision Board, but here are some helpful tips.
- Place your board in a place that you will see it as a daily reminder and allow yourself a few minutes to reflect on the goals established daily.
- Establish realistic and achievable goals for yourself. Do not set yourself up for failure, as you will lose motivation. Good goals are often baby steps that can be adjusted as needed.
- When establishing goals, include areas such as: Mental / Physical Health, Personal Growth, Career, Financial, Social, Relationships, Family, Recreation, etc.
- Your vision board should motivate and inspire you to get up every day and walk in the steps of your vision. Use motivational quotes, pictures of your role models, inspirational pictures, or other visual reminders on your board that will encourage you to stay on course and reach your goals.
- Set aside time at the end of every month to reflect on your goals to explore your accomplishments and identify your struggles. Once again, do not beat yourself up about your struggles, just make adjustments where needed. Remind yourself, “You Got This!!!”
- Celebrate even the smallest victory!
So as we get ready to ring in this new year, I challenge you to reflect on the old and establish the new. Learn from the past and establish a new vision for yourself that is rooted in a sense of peace, surrounded by healthy relationships, positivity, ongoing motivation, and the knowledge that You Can Do This Because You Are Worth It!!!