Happy New Year, you beautiful badass. I hope you’re having a fabulous 2018 so far.
In the lead up to this new year, I started to feel a little overwhelmed with the amount of goal-setting advice out there. To the point that I almost didn’t sit down to reflect on 2017 and start defining my focuses for 2018 — even though I enjoy doing this.
To stop the overwhelm from taking over, I took a breath, picked up my notebook and let it flow. What hit the page were 10 prompts (questions I asked myself) that left me feeling grateful for 2017 and excited for 2018. In the hope you might find them helpful too, I’ve shared them below.
When you’re ready, find a quiet spot, a fresh page in your notebook and let’s get started. Take your time answering the questions and write down anything and everything they bring to mind.
1. Looking back on 2017, I am proud of…
List everything that comes to mind.
2. Of my list, the 3 achievements I feel most proud of are…
3. Reflecting on 2017, I am grateful for…
List everything that comes to mind, big and small.
4. In 2018, I am excited to…
List everything — and anything — that comes to mind.
5. My list above translates into the following 3–5 focuses for 2018…
Think of a “focus” as a broad goal or achievement.
Visualisation:
- Picking one focus for now, take 2 minutes to visualise having achieved your focus. Consider: How does it feel to have achieved it? How do you look? How are you celebrating? Take the time to build out as much detail as you can.
6. Staying with that chosen focus — how could I achieve this in 2018?
List every action that comes to mind, big and small.
7. What could prevent me from achieving this focus in 2018?
List every potential blocker than comes to mind.
8. Picking the blocker that feels the biggest — how could I prevent this from happening?
Consider everything you can do now to prevent this blocker from holding you back.
9. Who could help me achieve my focus?
List everyone you would like support from — this could be executional support (i.e. being a sounding board) or emotional support (i.e. being your accountability buddy).
10. What action can I take today to take the first step towards achieving my focus?
You’ve got this!
There we go — I hope the above questions leave you feeling empowered, excited and equipped to pursue your focuses in 2018. And provide a powerful set of prompts to take with you into this new year.
Let’s do it
Would you appreciate a check-in over email to see how you’re getting on? Drop me a note with…
- Your 3–5 focuses for 2018;
- The potential blockers you identified;
- The action points you’re going to take;
And I’ll be in touch to see how you’re doing and provide any help I can. I can’t wait to hear from you.
Wishing you a happy and healthy 2018!