7 Steps to Plan for the New Year
Each November, I spend time reflecting on all that I experienced in the current year and I begin planning for the upcoming year. Going through this process before the year ends enables me to be more present during the holiday season and to welcome in the new year feeling empowered, excited and ready to live intentionally.
The process I use varies slightly from year to year, depending on what I’ve been working on and where I’m at personally and professionally. This year, I shared my process in my stories on Instagram but I'm summarizing and sharing it here as well, so you can follow along with the process yourself.
Here are the 7 Steps I Use to Plan for the New Year:
Step 1 – Make a mind map of YOU!
You’ll find lots of ideas for creating mind maps with a simple Google search.
Include things like hobbies, family fun, volunteer work, values, passions, my company’s mission, other interests and more. Add lines and bubbles as needed
Step 2 – Write out what you want in the new year.
This isn’t meant to be a shopping list or long list of material items. Instead, it’s about what you want more of and less of, what you want to achieve and/or let go of. (Hint: think experiences over things!)
Don’t limit yourself. Include anything that you’re wholeheartedly ready to focus on this year.
Step 3 – Write down everything that’s holding you back from what you want. BE HONEST.
Now that you’re clear on what you want, it’s time to be vulnerable and honest about what’s holding you back.
If there’s something you’ve been talking about wanting for a while, dig in and to get clear on why you haven’t yet achieved it. What's been getting in your way?
This step might take a while. Give yourself the gift of
Step 4 – Think about how you can overcome those challenges, the things that are holding you back.
There are several simple living principles that I apply to this step. When I teach these principles, common ones that come up include delegating (giving others the opportunity to do what they do best), and teamwork (if your home and life involve other people on a daily basis, determining how you can best work as a team can be a gamechanger).
If you’re stuck on this one, let me know and I’ll help you brainstorm ideas. 😊
Step 5 – Dig deep and shine a light on your limiting beliefs.
Be honest here, too. This part can be tough, but so worth it! Your mind is a powerful tool and sometimes it steers you the wrong way.
Finding clarity on where you’re limiting yourself is critical to changing your course and moving forward. A common limiting belief I often hear is, “I don’t know enough to do ____________________.”
Step 6 – Counter those limiting beliefs with truths.
Just as you can tell yourself a story about why you can’t do something, you can also tell yourself a story about why you can do something. For this step, just keep writing all that comes to mind as you think about what the truth really is.
An example of a truth that counters the limiting belief above could be, “My experience and training have provided me with the skills and knowledge I need to succeed in my field.”
Step 7 – Finally, with all your clarity and insight from the previous steps, write out where you will focus your energy in the new year.
This step involves prioritizing your time and energy to what matters most. You can achieve a lot, but you can’t achieve it all at once. Choose what’s most important right now and how that integrates into your life activities for the year ahead. If your daughter is getting married in June, planning to write a book in May probably doesn’t make sense.
Be optimistic, but realistic and be honest with the time and energy you have available.
There are many ways to intentionally plan for the new year. Randomly choosing New Year’s resolutions that you haven’t thought through isn’t likely to get you where you want to be. Instead, giving yourself the gift of time to focus on the steps above can empower you to achieve all that you dream of for the new year.
I wish you much joy, clarity, and success in the new year!
Lisa