“This year will be different and better than ever “, yadayadayada. Ever heard of that one? Yeah, we all have, pretty much every year. The new year has always bothered me a bit because of that. I’d get so annoyed with the “new year, new me” stuff going around and would think, why wait for a new year to better yourself?
I get it. The new year feels fresh and exciting and the whole world is excited about something. All those goals that are being set are amazing, though let’s put a twist on it this year, shall we?
Let’s go ahead and take a look back for a second. Calm down now, it won’t be as scary as you think. Before we can make any significant change this year, we have to take a real good look at our previous year and not just the obvious things that happened.
Stay with me. This exercise made me so much more confident in a new year, than I’ve ever been before.
First, write down the 3 best things that happened to you this past year.
I know that might be a bit tough, but try to find that light. No matter how much of a pain 2020 has been, there is always beauty in the struggle.
Second, write down the 3 worst things that happened to you and be specific.
This might be a bit of a triggering one, though it’s probably one of the most important ones to do. Don’t hide from it.
Next, write down 3 goals you hit this past year. It doesn’t matter how small. What did you accomplish?
It feels good to see those goals you were able to cross off the list. Own it!
This one is one of my favorites: what were 3 of the greatest memories 2020 brought you?
Take some time on this one to enjoy reflecting back on those memories.
Going back to goals, what were 3 goals you missed?
This one isn’t meant as a chance for you to beat yourself up. Just take note and move on to the next question, for now.
Piggy backing off of the last one, what is the greatest lesson you learned from the worst things that happened this past year and from your missed goals?
Again, no beating yourself up here. Take ownership of where you slacked and challenge yourself to improve on that.
What were the main reasons why you missed those goals?
Is there a trend you notice, like laziness, fear, or that they weren’t attainable goals in the first place?
What were the main reasons you hit those other 3 goals?
Passion was a recurring reason I was able to achieve the goals I hit. What do you notice kept you going to be able to hit these 3 goals, that you might could have used with the ones you missed?
From this past year, who were the 3 most influential people in your life?
Most of them might be people you only know online and that’s okay. Who has made the biggest impression and impact on your year? If you want to take it a step further, tell them how much they impact you.
What is the 1 thing you would have differently in 2020?
This is not the time to get all regretful and such, but a chance to learn and make the changes needed, to make this question not feel as big next year.
What is 1 word that best describes your year of 2020?
Dig deep on this one. Put some thought into it and give 2020 some grace while you’re at it.
Lastly, for fun, choose 1 word that will be your theme for 2021.
Mine is humility. My accelerator for 2021 is going to be humility because I need to do whatever it takes to serve my people as well as I possibly can. No more hiding, no more waiting, no more wasting time. Going all in, with humility and faith.
Now that you’ve taken the time to reflect on what a year this past one has been, don’t you feel more clear on how you are going to better this new year? I know I do. Instead of going into the year with a couple goals, you have something written down that you can compare to and challenge yourself with, and use as a reference for a much better year. It is already such a better year because you’ve taken the time to invest in it with this exercise. Now, you have the chance to use this investment to turn things around and end this next year feeling better than ever.
It’s always about challenging yourself to be better than you were the day before. This past year does not define you, it should only strengthen you to crush 2021 more than any year before.
I challenge you to not lose sight of the growth you have experienced.
I've never been so excited about a year than I am for this one. We are in this together this year which is such a beautiful thing and I have the most amazing opportunity to serve you guys as well as I possibly can, and I will not take that for granted.
I’m cheering you on so loud over here and am taking you for this amazing, awesome, crazy ride this year with me. SEE YA 2020. LET’S DO THIS THANG 2021.
I’d love to hear what your word for 2021 is, in the comments! If you need any help with this or with building a life of balance, send me a message here. We are in this together.
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