Year-End Reflections for Clarity and Focus

As year-end approaches, people are thinking about their resolutions for the New Year.  How can you increase the likelihood that your resolutions will be successful?  By getting clear and focused on what's important to you; that will provide fuel to keep you passionate and motivated.

The following reflections will help you gain clarity and get focused on what's really important to you. 

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Reflect on the ups and downs of the past year:
What went well during the past year?  What were the highlights?  What didn't go so well?  As you review the highs and lows that you experienced, draw on that for guidance as you plan for the upcoming year.  For instance, if your morning workout plans never really took off, maybe the key to success is scheduling your workout for the evening instead.  If one of the highlights of the past year was the weekend you spent out of town, consider how you can plan more of those weekend getaways.
 

Reflect on the people you really want to connect with:
At any funeral service, there's almost always someone present who is filled with regret.  This is the person who had been planning to call or get together with the deceased individual, but never got around to it.  You don't want to be that person, filled with regret.  If you're too busy to make time for the people you care about, you're too busy.  Reflect on the people you really want to connect with, and take responsibility for making those connections happen. 
 

Reflect on what's holding you back:
At any stage of life, you can find yourself at a place where something is holding you back from pursuing what you really want.  The "something" holding you back could be anything.  It could be a situation that you've outgrown but are hesitant to leave.  It could be the fear of failure that's keeping you from trying something new.  Whatever it is that's holding you back, take time to reflect on the impact it's having on your life.  Is it really worth it?  How would your life be different, fuller, and more satisfying if you were to shake off whatever it is that's holding you back?
 

Reflect on where you want to be one year from now:
When you look ahead to where you want to be one year from now, what do you see?  Is your life largely the same as it is today, or is it vastly different?  What needs to happen to bring the image you're seeing into reality?  By looking ahead to where you want to be in the future, you can reverse-engineer the path back to where you are today, in order to determine the steps you need to take to get there. 
 

There's enormous value in self-reflection.  As you gain clarity and get focused on what is most important to you in your life, you'll be better equipped to make New Year's resolutions you can truly commit to and follow through on.