One Practical Step for a Productive New Year
Disclaimer: It has come to my attention that many of us humans start off all big and grand for the new year, and by the second month, we have already shirked from our goals. With that in mind, I am reposting my first series of New Year’s blogs to get us going again. I hope you enjoy the refresher.
A new year means different things to different people. For most, it is an opportunity for a fresh start. It is a time to close the door to the past and press into the possibilities that lie ahead. I like to say it is our time to push out the mess and bring in the best.
What that looks like for you may be different for me. Pushing out the mess could be as smooth as pushing away from the dining room table after fifteen minutes and forfeiting that last bite of sweet potato soufflé. Bringing in the best might mean, committing to a relationship with someone who has always been there for you even when you were not ready to settle down. A fresh start looks and feels different for everyone and should not be taken lightly, because our whole new year is at stake. But creating a plan for the best does not have to be difficult.
Do a WWW
Before setting goals and not resolutions, for 2022, it is a good idea to do a thorough review. Today is the day to stop for a couple of hours to sit with the decisions we made in 2021. Examine what worked, what did not, and why.
We should think about both the personal and professional sectors of life and how they mesh with our eternal purpose. We all have a purpose. If you aren’t familiar with yours, you can learn all about purpose here (ReallyLeah.com). Your purpose is not going to change, so stay with me and we will get to “purpose” later. Let’s keep our first things first. Do you recall the lesson that Stephen Covey gave us in his “Big Rocks” analogy on time management? Well, we can factor in the same concepts for our life management. I’ll share more about that later, too.
Firstly, it makes sense to focus on the rest of this year, specifically what worked, what did not work, and why. Yes. I am repeating myself on purpose. Because a proper review is that important.
A wise person once said, “You can’t really know where you are going until you know where you have been.” I think that person was Maya Angelou. She went on to say, “I have respect for the past, but I’m a person of the moment. I’m here, and I do my best to be completely centered at the place I’m at, then I go forward to the next place.”
If we take Angelou’s advice and center in on the moment we are in, which is the end of the year, we would be wise to reflect on what worked in 2021, what did not work, and why? I suggest taking time today, no later than tomorrow, to dig deep into your memory bank or journals and record your answers.
You, Inc. Review
If you need a little help with this idea, just think of your life as a billion-dollar corporation (because it is at least that valuable). Then imagine that on January 1, 2022, you will receive another billion dollars based on your end-of-the-year report (which is in two days). The report should answer at least three questions:
- What is my overall feeling about my annual portfolio?
- Did I break-even, crush it, or did I sink?
- And, why?
Once you have written your answers out, you will have completed a brief review. The process should spur other questions, such as: Are there changes I need to make for the future? Would you invest in yourself? How much? A billion dollars?
The review is only the beginning. Where it leads you is unknown. But I suspect, the best is yet to come.
Due Tomorrow
Please know that I am doing my 2021 review, too. I enjoy collaborating on winning projects and I know none better than You, Inc. So, will you meet me back here (ReallyLeah.com) tomorrow for your next best step for creating a 2022, purposed for you?
If so, and in summary, we plan to do a You, Inc. annual review or WWW, and write down our findings. Then we will meet here (ReallyLeah.com) tomorrow, noon EST, for our next best step.
With a proper review of last year, we can establish fresh goals and objectives that will take us from the New Year’s Eve soirée into the best season of our lives, so far.
Till then, live blessed,
ReallyLeah XO / A place where passion, productivity, and purpose harmonize.