I love the idea of a fresh start and, as you might expect, I just love the coming of a whole new year. All of the possibilities!!
But one important lesson I’ve learned is that if you want to improve the coming year, you need to reflect on the one that’s passing.
So, while in the next few weeks we’ll go over key questions to help you plan a successful 2020, today we’re going to look at some key questions to help you evaluate 2019.
I’d really encourage you to spend some quiet time with these questions and handwrite out the answers. The more you can focus on where you’ve been, the better you’ll be able to focus on where you want to go.
One more quick thing: I’m going to encourage you to look at both the good and the not so good elements of 2019. The purpose isn’t to beat yourself up or blame anyone, but instead to take a clear and objective look at how the year panned out. Rose-colored glasses won’t help you, but excessive self-criticism won’t either.
Answer honestly, but be nice to yourself. 🙂
Ready? Here goes!
What went well in 2019?
Where were you proud that you accomplished?
What new (and positive) relationships did you cultivate?
What old (and positive) relationships did you strengthen?
What goals did you accomplish?
What was your most fun day?
What was your proudest day?
When did you feel and give the most love?
What would you like to see more of in 2020?
In what ways do you feel you were moving closer to your ideal life?
What’s going well in each of these areas?
– Family
– Friendships
– Relationships
– Career
– Health
– Fun
What didn’t go so well in 2019?
What didn’t you accomplish in 2019 that you’d wanted to? Why didn’t you?
In what ways did you stay in your comfort zone instead of challenging yourself? Why?
What was your most challenging day? Why?
What was your most frustrating day? Why?
Was there a way that you let yourself down in 2019? Why did it happen?
Were there promises that you made to yourself that you didn’t keep? Why not?
In what ways do you feel you’re moving farther away from your ideal life?
What needs to be improved in each of these areas?
– Family
– Friendships
– Relationships
– Career
– Health
– Fun
As I said, be gentle but honest as you answer these questions. They’re essential for helping you craft a crystal clear vision for 2020 (see what I did there??) that will make you excited for the new year.
Keep your answers close because we’ll move on to planning for the new year soon…
These are good questions to reflect on. Honestly, I’ve been trying to take stock of my own plans, trying to schedule my to-do list better, but I still wonder how I can actually achieve the goal I really want. I hope I can zone in on those goals better to get something accomplished in 2020.
Hi Amelia,
I’ll have a post up about planning for 2020 in a bit but, in the meantime, I’ve always found that the best way to attack big goals is to break them down into the smallest possible actionable steps. (And “actionable” is key – “website update” on a to do list isn’t an action, “look for new website templates on Squarespace” is something you can actually take action on. Major credit to the book “Getting Things Done” for that insight! 🙂 )
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki