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I’m spending half my time doing what most people say not to do. In my opinion it’s just as important as planning new goals and targets and it’s something I think you should do before you commit to next years ambitions.
Looking back on the past is time well spent. Do not confuse this with dwelling on the past, however, 2018 will be your best teacher for this year. I choose to prioritize what went well, what my biggest wins were and what can I learn.
Does this mean you should avoid paying attention to the mistakes and regrets from the year? I will neither shy away from this area nor will I allow it to negatively dictate my plans for the future, but it will have an impact. I will celebrate my success but ignoring the mistakes, and more importantly the lessons learnt, would be foolish. This is called opportunity. If you are to have your best year you need to apply these lessons and play bigger. Mistakes are as negative as you make them, and the truth is that if you have not made any mistakes then perhaps your ambitions and goals are not challenging enough.
The only big mistake is not taking advantage of these lessons to create a better outcome. I am viewing this year as a chance to build upon each year that I’ve been breathing. There are some aspects of my life that I will need to let go, somethings get me no closer to my goals or teach me anything new. I am still not rid of everything that holds me back, this is a work in progress and will require constant attention if I am to remove them completely. This is where goal setting will be relatively easy and straight forward. I know what is required to climb to the next level.
My biggest advantage going forward is that I tracked all the wins, mistakes and lessons learned each day last year. This highlights the areas I have excelled in and the areas that need more attention. If you are not tracking, I would strongly recommend you start if you want to make things easier for yourself long term.
Before you rush ahead with the excitement of planning your new goals just spend some time thinking about what needs to be different if you are to see a new outcome. The obstacles and the challenges will lead you to the result you desire. Do not ignore them or they will be the reason you fail to get where you want to be.
Attack each new year with a new attitude. Be prepared to do the work and go in with your eyes firmly open. Do not rely purely on motivation. Have a strong reason for doing what you say you’ll do and put your attention on this daily. Remind yourself every single morning of what you want and why. If this year really is to be different you are going to have to create new behaviours which will always be a test. If you can create accountability and urgency you will have a much better chance of succeeding. Going it alone is always harder. Do not hide when things get tough, with ambitious goals and challenge tough times are unavoidable. Turn up every single day.
This is your year, own it.
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This post was previously published on www.mansplan.co.uk and is republished here with permission from the author.
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