…perhaps cake is in order!?
Don’t be daft, cake is ALWAYS in order 😉
Seriously though, I know that you might be looking back at 2017 and listing off in your head all the things that you didn’t get done, didn’t try, didn’t do etc.
This happens to us all, despite the fact that I’d bet you’ve done some pretty cool shizzle this year and have probably already forgotten all about it.
So let’s start with the reviewing of the stuff that didn’t go to plan, and then we’ll move on to celebrating what did – always good to end on a high!
What went wrong?
Let’s look back at the last 12 months and maybe choose 1 – 3 key things that didn’t go the way you’d hoped. Then for each of them we’re going to ask 2 questions:
- On a scale of 1 to 10 how well did you implement your plan to achieve it (did you even have a plan!?)?
- On a scale of 1 – 10 what were your results?
We can often get caught up in the act of not hitting the goal and miss the other important elements around why this may have happened. A few common reasons are:
- We didn’t set it as a SMART goal, specifically and measurably, so we had no real goal post to aim for
- We didn’t have a plan and/or follow a plan so we have no way of knowing how our actions affected the end result
- We didn’t set milestones and track our progress and so give ourselves the best chance of success
- We didn’t have any accountability
I set goals all the time that I don’t hit but I always learn something along the way and can use that learning to help me see what goals I want to make in the future.
Sometimes I’ve set goals and realised the closer I got that it was not the goal I really wanted and so moved the goal posts and then gone on to hit the new goal and feel good about the shift half way.
I’ve hit a few goals this year that I was really excited about and then upon reaching them realised that I’d fixed a lot of expectation on specific goals that actually didn’t have the changing impact I thought they might; a fleeting exhilaration followed by “what’s next!?”. In fact I think this feeling of come-down after hitting a goal is very common and one of the main reasons why we leap from goal to goal without stopping to celebrate the wins along the way.
I believe that the majority of the adventure, lessons and excitement come from pursuing the goal so there’s a lot to be said for simply having a goal, whether you manifest it in full or not.
Before the new year arrives, why not take some time to review what’s happened, dust yourself off for any misses and then look to the future of what you would like to see come to pass.
If you’re feeling down about anything in particular, let’s have a little mindset flip; remember that there is zero point in looking back at and regretting things you have no power to change. Instead, focus on the power that you have within you to positively affect the future and take that first step. It’s always only the next first step. Whatever it needs to be, take one positive step today towards the 2018 that you want to create. 🙂
What went right?
Now time to take a look at all the good things that happened in your world this year. I’ve got a few prompts below to get you started. I’d love for you to get a sheet of paper and start writing anything positive that comes into your head. The more positives the better!
- Nice things that people said
- Places you visited that you wanted to
- Achievements in your business/work
- Experiences with friends and/or family
- Things you tried
- Actions you completed
- Awards or recognition that you won
- Books you read
- People who’s lives you made better, even in the smallest way
- Times where you stepped out of your comfort zone
Take time to enjoy the memories and remember that you’re doing an amazing job right now with what you have available to you. That you have the power to choose to be happy – it’s all in your mind. The opportunity for a positive experience is all around you – seek it out and embrace it.
I’d love to hear some of your takeaways from this, maybe some of the great stuff you’ve done in 2017 🙂
Onwards and upwards! <3 xx