The Ultimate New Year Review

As we bring one year to a close, and start fresh with a New Year, it's important to take some time to reflect on the past twelve months. What have we accomplished? What were our highlights and lowlights? What did we learn?

Taking a good, hard look at our lives can be challenging, but it's also incredibly powerful, and worth the few minutes it takes to go through the process- because it truly allows us to see where we've been and where we want to go with a more clear picture. It gives us perspective on our choices and helps us learn from our mistakes. And perhaps most importantly, it allows us to set realistic goals for the year ahead.

I do this with my coaching clients and it’s such a great way to bring in the New Year, I want to share it with you too. 

 
 

How to Do a New Year Review

A New Year review is simply a process of reflection. You can do it by yourself, with a friend, a coach or therapist. There are no right or wrong answers, and there is no specific format you need to follow. The only goal is to take an honest look at your life and see where you've been and where you want to go.

There are many benefits to doing a review like this. First, it can help you identify your values and priorities. It will also help you gain perspective on your choices. Are you happy with the way things have turned out? What would you change if you could do it all over again?

Finally, a life review can help you set realistic goals for the future. All too often, we set grandiose resolutions that are impossible to achieve. By taking a step back and looking at our lives as a whole, we can identify small changes that will make a significant impact. These mini-habits are much more likely to stick than major overhauls, leading to lasting change over time.

Ready to start? 

Grab your journal and get ready to write answers to the following questions. 

Note- there’s no right or wrong here- this is just for you. 

  1. Look back at your goals from the previous year. What were the main goals you wanted to accomplish this year?

  2. Did you take the necessary steps to reach your goals? 

  3. What have you done this past year that you are proud of?

  4. What have you done this past year that you could have done better or made better choices?

  5. What do you want more of in your life?

  6. What do you want less of in your life?

  7. What's important to you?

  8. What do you want to improve on this coming year?

  9. What are your top three priorities for the year ahead? 

Once you have completed those questions, sit with it for a minute. Your brain will continue to come up with ideas- so keep writing. I encourage you to set a timer for about 10 minutes to really let all these thoughts flow out. 

Next, don’t stress on the negative, but use it as a stepping point as to what you want to do better. It’s all a learning process.
Once you are done, it’s time to set some goals for the year ahead. New Years Resolutions come in all forms, but we want to focus on setting some good ones for the year ahead. Keeping in mind the exercise you just did, and start thinking about what’s to come. 

Tips for setting effective New Year's Resolutions: 

When setting New Year's resolutions, it's important to be realistic and specific. Vague resolutions such as "lose weight" or "get in shape" are more likely to fail because they're not measurable. Instead of setting goals that are impossible to track, choose specific and achievable resolutions. For instance, you could decide to walk for 30 minutes every day or eat a piece of fruit with breakfast every morning. Those are easy to tick off a list as done… or not.

Once you've settled on one or two specific resolutions, it's time to create a plan for how you will achieve them. This step is critical; without a concrete plan, it will be easy to fall back into your old habits come February. When making your plan, set small, achievable goals that you can complete regularly. For example, if you decide to walk for 30 minutes every day, commit to walking for 10 minutes every day for the first week. Then, increase the amount of time you walk by 5 minutes each week until you reach your goal of 30 minutes.

If you're feeling stuck or unfulfilled, doing a life review can be beneficial. With the start of a New Year, this is even more powerful because we often look at the New Year as an opportunity for a fresh start.  It's a chance to reflect on your accomplishments, learn from your mistakes, and set realistic goals for the year ahead. You might be surprised at what you discover about yourself—and what's possible for your future.
I’m here to cheer you on!

If you need help with a plan to reach your goals, or are looking for some motivation and support, then be sure to join me inside Nourish For Life.