I believe that it is important to review and close out the year that is ending to learn all that we can from it. Doing so also lays the foundation for our dreams and plans in the coming year. This simple year end process opens the door to a deeper understanding of the gifts and challenges we experienced last year and supports heartfelt intentions and goals for the New Year.
Start your year end process by reviewing your calendar, pictures taken, and other things that will refresh your memory. It is likely that you have forgotten or minimized many wins and special moments from the past year. This is the time to bring them forward.
Set aside some quiet time and find a comfortable place where you can spend time with these questions. Bring something to write on so that you can record what you have learned from the past and want for the future.
Part One: The Outgoing Year
What were the blessings and magical moments I experienced this year?
What successes did I achieve?
What am I proud of myself for?
What surprised me?
What did I learn from this year’s challenges?
What did I worry about and how did it turn out?
What do I want to take from this year to create a foundation for the year to come?
What do I want to leave behind? (physical, mental, or emotional)
What am I most grateful for?
Part Two: The Fresh New Year
What theme or focus will I choose for the coming year?
What do I want to stand for?
What qualities do I want to cultivate in myself?
What changes would I like to make?
What do I want my life to look like at the end of this year?
How can I make that happen?
What intentions would I like to set?
What goals would support those intentions?
What am I ready to commit to in the coming year?
Not everyone will want to make goals or commitments. If you do, please only commit to goals you fully intend to keep. Breaking commitments to yourself undermines your confidence and self-worth.
For some of you it might help to make very small commitments that are easy to keep, so that you can start establishing a pattern of success. You can always add more later.
Please feel free to share what you have learned from your year end process and/or your heartfelt intentions for the coming year by commenting below or sending them to me.
If you would like coaching support in completing your year end process or bringing your goals and intentions to life, I would love to help. Please contact me to set up a consultation.
These are great questions to ponder, Linda. I’ll be spending some time with this list in the coming weeks. Thanks for the prompt!
Enjoy! I bet you are planning something great for 2017.
Now this is exactly what I need Linda! Thanks for prompting me to considering the New Year and what I hope to accomplish in the next 365 days. Doesn’t seem like a long enough when I consider how fast time passes. I appreciate you inspiring some loftier goals. Happy New Year Linda!
Wow, these are great questions to ask! It’s so important to honestly review the past before setting your intentions for the coming year. Thanks for providing this list!
You are most welcome. I hope they remind you of the magic of the year past and help you set beautiful intentions for the one ahead.
It’s great to see what we’ve learnt in the past year in this time of review. So important that we recognise our achievements and use them as a foundation for the next steps of our life journey.
Lovely post, as yours always are! I want to live into gentleness this year. I know am it, but it has been covered over by life’s debris. Hoping to trust and peace, too.
While I set a goal or two/three each year, I rarely look back to evaluate. I like your questions in that perspective. Will take a crack at it! Thanks for that information.
The additional value of reviewing your wins in the prior period is that it creates a positive mental state before you set any new goals. Have fun with it!
Very good questions and ideas to close the year to start the new. I do Susannah Conway’s Unravel the Year. I don’t always finish it but I will make a concerted effort this year.
Wonderful suggestions. Has me thinking. May your New Year be filled with the fulfillment of your dreams!
And, yours as well.
WOW, you hit the mark with me….I’m printing this out and using it and answering the questions and coming up with my realistic plans for 2019 and hopefully knock 2019 out of the water.
Have fun with the process! It looks like 2019 will be a great year for you.