As the current year winds down, it’s a natural time for reflection. We begin to think about what went well this year, and what didn’t exactly turn out like we’d planned. We also begin to look towards the new year, making goals and resolutions with all of the best intentions.
Here are a few things that you can do to bring about a positive transition and get the most out of 2024:
- Begin with a solid recap of 2023. What were your favorite parts? What did you achieve? What were your biggest moments of joy? Where did you find happiness? What did you discover? What do you want to bring with you into 2024?
- List your regrets, or things that you wish had gone better. What went wrong? What could you have improved? Did you have any regrets? What did you learn from those things? What can you do to prevent them from happening again? How can you support yourself better?
- Forgive yourself for anything that flopped. You are starting off with a fresh slate so let yourself off the hook for anything from the past that you cannnot change.
- Goals for 2024. Now that you’ve recapped 2023, start outlining your objectives for 2024. What do you want to do? What do you want to achieve? Do you have any unfinished business? What do you want to accomplish in terms of your personal life? Professional life? Do you have any health or fitness goals? What are you going to do in order to grow spiritually and emotionally? Start writing it all down. Putting it on paper makes it that much more likely to unfold.
- Develop some action plans. For each and every goal that you’ve listed for 2024, jot down an action plan to make it happen. For example, if you want to switch careers, what are you going to do to bring it about? Will you learn a new skill or start looking for another position? What moves are you going to take to turn your goals into reality?
- Attach a timeline to your goals. Plot everything out month by month as a sort of road map to get to where you want to be. This will give you something to measure your progress against and also provide you with something to aim for.
- Make a vision board. Yes, you’re probably rolling your eyes at this point, but a vision board doesn’t have to be something cheesy. Just think about what you want your life to look like at this time next year and give yourself a glimpse into the future. Make it specific and tied into your goals. Where do you want to be in December of 2024? What do you look like? Where do you work? Live? What are you doing for fun? What has improved? In your heart of heart, you know what you want your ideal life to look like. Make a vision for that and hang it somewhere that you can see it every day of 2024 as you work toward it.
- Go after these things with everything you’ve got and then some! The most successful people are those who pursue their dreams with everything they’ve got and more. You are no exception! I believe in you!