Happy New Year! How is your start to 2018 going so far?
Has it been an awesome start? That’s wonderful! Keep on going.
Has it been a difficult experience so far? That’s ok, too. Keep on moving.
Personally, this hasn’t been the start to 2018 I had envisioned, due to various illnesses and injuries of loved ones and trying not to get sick myself in the process. And I know many others who are going through various challenges right now. But that’s all part of life. There will always be unexpected events, various ups and downs, and things we may not like. (See: Life is amazing. And then it’s awful. And then it’s amazing again.)
Challenges can force us to slow down and think about what’s truly important. And even though we can’t control everything that will happen in 2018, we can still choose what we want to focus on.
I usually start with reflecting back on the past year. (For more ideas on that, see: What Do You Want To Take With You From 2017?)
Then I turn to envisioning the coming year. Here are some questions I have used for myself and my clients to create 2018:
- What will next year be about for you (what will be the title of this chapter in the book of your life)?
- What do you want to change (begin doing or stop doing) next year?
- What have you learned that you want to put into use next year?
- What is a risk you must take next year in order to live the life you envision?
- What are 3 significant personal goals you will accomplish next year?
- What are 3 significant professional goals you will accomplish next year?
I have titled my 2018 chapter: Focus and Act.
Too many things that I could be doing have been tugging at my attention, and I know that in order to make any headway, I will need to focus on what’s most important and act on it.
One thing I want to change is to get back to journaling in the morning.
My morning meditation routine has continued to work well and helped with my mindfulness, so I want to expand it to include regular journaling again to capture my thoughts and experiences. I enjoyed it when I did it before, and it helped me see patterns and remember my learnings.
The risk I must take is to be willing to try things and fail.
I have noticed that I am often reluctant to start something new, because I don’t know whether I will be able to do it well. But there is no way to know or to get better at it than just trying it and taking the risk that it may fail. I will have to get comfortable with trying out things if I want to make progress.
What will next year be about for you?
Manuela loves helping smart and compassionate professionals create a career and life they love, while feeling more confident and fulfilled! You can visit Manuela’s Website for Career Happiness Coaching.