Look Ahead To The New Year!
It’s almost December 31 and another year is winding down to a close! While you’re getting ready to celebrate ringing in the new one, take a little time look ahead to the new year and decide how you’d like it to be.
You don’t need “resolutions”, but a goal or two and a way to figure them out will help you get more out of the new year. Here’s an updated version of a post that’s a team favorite because it is so simple and works for pretty much everyone!
Look Ahead
At this time it is most important to Look Ahead to the Future!
While you may reflect on the past (see below), don’t spend too much time dwelling on it. It’ll just tie you down to a time that’s gone.
Look ahead to where you want to be, not just for the next year, but maybe a year or two further. For example, if you’re a junior in high school, start thinking about senior year and college so you can make sure you’re taking the steps to get closer to your goals and dreams.
Reflect
Take a few minutes to reflect on the year that is just ending:
How was your last year overall: great, good, so-so, horrible?
What made you feel happy?
What made you sad, or angry or worried?
What accomplishments made you feel good about yourself?
Looking at the previous year will help you figure out what is really important to you. And it will help you narrow your focus to a small, manageable number of goals, and that makes it more likely that you will succeed in meeting them.
Review
Now that you’ve identified your experiences in the last year, dig in a little bit to see what you can learn from them.
Is there a pattern or common thread?
Can the things you liked be repeated through your efforts?
And can the things you don’t want to experience again, be avoided through your efforts?
What aspects of who you are would you like to see more of next year?
How did the events of the past year affect your “look ahead” goals?
Knowing what worked and didn’t work for you last year, and knowing what you want further down the road, will make it easier for you to figure out what to aim for as you set your goals for the new year.
Renew
Renew your commitment to the outcomes you want. Whether it is getting better at math, or starting your college planning, or improving your personal best time in cross-country running, or enjoying more quality time with your family, just commit to them now. You can fill in the details of how/when later.
Most importantly, regardless of how the past year was overall, there must have been a few times that made you feel good. Take a few moments to feel grateful for them. A little bit of gratitude can put you in the right frame of mind to look ahead to another brand new year!
Best wishes for the new year from the gang at Meemli!