As 2018 comes to a close and 2019 rapidly approaches, you might find yourself reflecting on the past year. So much can happen in a year, but it’s hard to feel like you’re making forward progress if you never take the time to reflect on the past and assess where you stand today.

Let’s talk goals, people! One of my favorite topics to discuss. Today I want you to ask yourself some questions to help you start to formulate your plan for next year. But first, it’s time to travel back to January 1, 2018, when you may have made some New Year’s Resolutions or goals to accomplish by the end of the year.

  • Take a look at the goals you set for yourself of the beginning of the year. For each goal, ask yourself: What went well? What didn’t go so well? What can I do to improve next year?
  • If you didn’t meet some of your 2018 goals, why not? You can ask yourself: Were these goals realistic for you? What would have made them more realistic?
  • Have your goals or priorities changed? How so? How might you alter your goals to better fit your needs?

This reflection process isn’t a time for judgement, but rather a time to learn more about yourself and how you can plan for success in the future. Take these lessons from the past year and think about how you might apply them toward next year’s goals. Do you want to reaffirm your goals? Change them to make them more challenging or more attainable? Or maybe you want to start from scratch entirely. Take some time to give these questions some serious thought and you’ll be well on your way to making some great goals for the next year.

Stay tuned for next week’s blog with a step-by-step process for how to make a plan to crush your 2019 goals.