As we approach the New Year, many of us are in a period of rest, self-reflection, and planning for the year ahead.
I recently had the privilege of talking with reader and fellow blogger, Barry Demp, from The Quotable Coach, who has been blogging for over 10 years.
One of the books Barry mentioned was ‘Your Best Year Yet’ by Jinny Ditzler. The essence of the book is 10 questions to help you think about the upcoming year, and to use them to make it your best year yet.
The 10 Questions:
- What did I accomplish?
- What were my biggest disappointments?
- What did I learn?
- How do I limit myself, and how can I stop?
- What are my personal values?
- What roles do I play in my life?
- Which role is my major focus for the next year?
- What are my goals for each role?
- What are my top ten goals for the next year?
- How can I make sure I achieve them?
Questions 1 and 2 are based on fact—what went well last year, and what went poorly?
Questions 3 and 4 are reflections on 1 and 2, forcing us to learn from our successes and failures.
Questions 5-6 are ‘Who am I?’ type questions. These are great to review on an annual basis, and perhaps even more important to think about following a tumultuous 2020.
Questions 7-9 are aspirational questions, helping us paint a picture of where we want to be in 1 year’s time.
And finally, question 10 is about tactics. What will you do to achieve your 2021 goals?
Here’s hoping a few of those questions can help you in your own reflections on 2020, and goal setting for 2021!