For so many of us, It feels like here’s an inevitable panic that sets in after the holidays. We’ve been so rushed with shopping, family, and a busy social whirl, is it any surprise that we feel unprepared for the year to come? Suddenly everyone is talking about their great grand goals, and you still haven’t quite figured out how to close out the last year.
And at the same time, isn’t it funny how we obsess so much over making something so big and grand as a year perfect when we could be applying the same energy and enthusiasm to every single day? Think about it. What if you could make the most of today, focusing on the present moment? It’s a heady thought.
How can you be assured this year is going to be absolutely fantastic right from the start?
Starting your New Year right can actually be reasonably straightforward if you follow the steps below.
In fact, by using these tips, you’ll be prepared in no time.
1) Take A Good Hard Look Back
It’s not often that you find much encouragement by staring into your rear-view mirror. However, and on the other hand, there comes a time when looking back is absolutely essential for your present and future success. This is one of those times.
It is time to review your last year and ask yourself these questions:
- What did you accomplish?
- What feels unfinished?
- Where were the improvements?
- What held you back?
- What are the regrets you carry?
- What do you feel especially proud of?
2) Close Out The Past
With your vision of what’s to come this new year, it’s time to shut the door on what’s holding you back. The last thing you need is to do is to drag a lot of old baggage into your new year. How to do this? It’s a relatively simple three-step process:
- Ask yourself what your expectation was on whatever it is you’re holding onto.
- Obviously, whatever you wanted hadn’t happened, or you wouldn’t be holding onto it now. Answer this question: what happened instead?
- Now ask yourself what you can take away from the experience? This lesson is important because it’s what you’re going to use to move on. It might be there’s some adjustment necessary in what you’ve been doing to prevent this from happening again.
Once you’ve processed all this, you’re ready to leave the past behind and move forward into your bright new future.
3) Finish Things
Be sure. What haven’t you closed out yet? It’s time to clear the decks for the new year. The good news is you might not have to finish everything. Carefully examine these old projects. Are there any things you could delegate? What about projects you really no longer need at all? It’s okay to let go of things that are no longer important.
4) Now, Let Go Of The Old Mental Baggage
You’re never going to get anywhere if you’re listening to the same old messages. Whatever you’re carrying with you, be it past disappointments or failures or even heavier baggage involving old decisions or harmful circumstances, needs to be let go of.
This is going to have to be a conscious decision made every day. Letting go means having room for new, better things in your life. That’s why this is so important. Having trouble letting go? Don’t be afraid to talk to someone like trusted friends or family, or seek the advise of a proffessional for additional help if you need it.
5) Think Positive
Your mindset is important and does make a difference. The actions that you want to take come from thoughts in your head. Just about all things that you do start with your mindset. If you feel like the year is overwhelming and full of trials, you’re going to get precisely that. On the other hand, if you start out with thoughts of positivity and focus instead on the good you are far more likely to have a fantastic year. The crucial thing here: Don’t just look at one area of your life but allow yourself to find contentment in every aspect of it.
What does your vision for your best year look like in terms of:
- Your job?
- In your relationships?
- Your hobbies?
- At home?
Look for what satisfies when you lay this out in your mind. How and where are you at your absolute best?
6) Add In A Dose Of Realism
Look at the goals you made last year. Were they reasonable? What about the things you want to do this coming year? It might be time to scale back into the realm of possibilities. You can start by breaking down the big crazy things into smaller steps you actually can accomplish.
7) What’s Your Focus?
Look again at your goals. Are they all over the place? Find the common denominator (if there is one). If not, it’s time to figure out what you’re really after. Having substantial focus makes you much more likely to accomplish what you set out to do. Knowing this focus before the year begins is really half the battle.
8) Set New Goals
What does this future involve? Here is where you need to set your new realistic goals, the more specific, the better. A good goal is completely relevant to what you’re wanting to accomplish in your life, is something you can measure somehow, challenges you, yet is attainable.
9) Take Care of You
This one should go without saying. If you’re not healthy, you’re not going to get anything done at all. Make yourself a priority before the year begins, setting up healthy habits, so you have the energy to do what you need to when the time comes.
10) What’s Important Today, Now?
Big goals are great, but sometimes they make it hard to see what you need to do right now. Today the goal is to focus on what needs doing in the here and now. Start each day with a set idea in mind of where your focus should be right now.
11) Drop The Distractions
How can you get anything done today if you’re caught in a mire of social media, email, and text messages? Today make the goal to put your attention where it matters most. Try turning off the internet for an hour or two to get some work done if it helps you to focus.
12) What Is Your Purpose?
Having a purpose should not be a someday goal but a daily one. What is your purpose today? Why do you get out of bed each morning? If you’re not sure, start with exploring your passion to find it. A little time daily in what matters most is sure to bring both a brand-new smile and all the good feelings blossoming from doing what matters to you.
13) Decide Who You Are
Did you know it’s okay to create a fresh new you at the start of every day? This comes from realizing just who you are right now. What does the you of today need most? What benefits you in the here and now? Do what makes sense for you today in relation to the goals that you have set out for yourself.
14) Know Your Why
Your goals need to be attached to something bigger. What’s the big picture? If you don’t understand this, you’ll never keep those smaller goals alive in the year to come. Knowing “The Why” is what’s going to give you the motivation to move on. For example, you might have the goal of quitting smoking. Why? Perhaps you want to be healthier for the sake of being there for your kids as they grow up. Having a defined vision for our future is what keep us going.
15) Act. Do. Be.
You have the road-map with the end destination set, but the map is worthless if you never take action to get there. Schedule the steps needed to reach your goals, then DO THEM! Simple, right? No. There is no point in being naive. It is not so simple. If it was that simple we would have all achieved our goals. But it is possible.
People do achieve success: With focus and determination, do the things that need to be done to reach your goals. If you wish to be successful, you need to do the actions that your goals require.
Conclusion
If you’re one of the few that follow these steps, then you’re the one feeling prepared for the New Year, and it’s the rest of the world who will be looking at your feeling envious at your calm as you enter into your best year ever.
Now, get to it. Put these steps together, and you’ll have your best year ever!
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