I hate New Year’s resolutions. Why? Because they are often broad, overarching statements that have little accountability or are grounded in reality. They are often based on something we aren’t happy about or did wrong in the previous year, without really reflecting on the lessons learned or understanding why we didn’t accomplish something (exercise, being more patient, quitting a job that’s killing you).
What I do believe in is goal setting. Having clear goals, with measurable objectives, that you can work towards in the year.
But before you can set goals, you need to pull back the covers and take an honest look at 2018. Asking yourself:
- What accomplishments are you most proud of – in your personal and professional life?
- What were your greatest wins?
- Where did you stubble, or all out crash?
- Who are your greatest allies?
- What are your greatest weaknesses?
- Who helps you or can help you fill those weaknesses (either help you grow or you can hand the work to as it’s an area that is their strength)?
- Where did you have your greatest growth?
- What areas do you still need to work on?
These are just some questions to ask yourself as you look back on 2018.
For me, I quit a job so I could focus on my writing, public relations consulting and corporate training. It was a big leap from a regular paycheck with benefits to building a business, client base and learning the world of online marketing (which seems to change every week).
I made this jump after reflecting on 2017, and realizing I was stretched in too many directions, and not following my passion in my day job. I did the work on dissecting 2017 and setting goals for 2018. After spending some time getting my ducks in order, I made the jump back into the world of self-employment. (And let’s be clear, there’s no amount of planning that will ever make this a smooth transition. That’s why it’s called making the jump.)
While we only have a few more hours left in 2018, and many of you won’t read this until 2019, I encourage you to book time in your calendar in the coming days to spend a couple of hours truly reflecting on the year that has passed. You can do this alone, with friends, or with your partner. How you do it doesn’t matter. What is important is you take the time to reflect. With honesty (no sugar coating the year, but rather looking for ways to grow and learn).
And guess what? While you might uncover some ugly truths, you will also see how far you have come. There are some accomplishments in 2018 that you can be proud of and celebrate. Soak in the successes so you have the energy to do the work on the areas of growth for 2019.
This reflection will help make 2019 an incredible year!!!
I’d love to hear one thing you are most proud of in 2018. Comment below or send me a message.
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