5 Ways to: be you. for you.
January feels like the perfect time to take stock of what you have achieved over the last year and what you have planned for the next 12 months. The post-holiday blues may be setting in, but while work is starting to ramp up again, it’s an excellent opportunity to plan and prioritize different areas of your life—health and wellness, finances, career planning, to name a few.
Things will inevitably happen this year that throw you off track, but making plans will help you dust yourself off and move forward with more energy than before.
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!”
— Benjamin Franklin
Here Are 5 Ways to: be you. for you.
1. Put yourself at the top of your list
You really can’t help others until you help yourself. Taking care of your health and wellbeing makes you a better partner, parent, and friend—and means you’ll be around longer for your loved ones. Make time each day to work toward your own goals or the lifestyle you want.
2. Take time for reflection
When planning for the year ahead, look back at the one you’ve completed—not to dwell, but to celebrate accomplishments and learn from challenges. Here are some questions to guide you:
- Where did I spend most of my time, money, and energy this past year?
- What surprising thing happened this year?
- When did I make or save most of my money?
- What did I accomplish?
- What did I do that was courageous?
- Which habits do I want to let go of, and which do I want to carry into the New Year?
3. Choose a New Year theme
Your theme is the dominant focus of the year; all other goals sit under its umbrella. Trying to give equal importance to everything—sleep, spirituality, weight loss, career, etc.—can lead to overwhelm. Instead, gather your goals and pick one theme to guide your priorities. Examples:
- Business Building
- Parenthood
- Dating and Love
- Weight Loss / Health
- Spirituality
- Wealth Building
4. Write down your goals
Start with a brainstorming session: get every goal for the year on paper. Then identify which goals align most with your theme and rank them by priority. Finally, write each goal on its own page and break it into bite-sized tasks—you’ll have a doable personal to-do list.
5. Schedule it
Brainstorming isn’t enough—you must turn plans into reality. Use a diary or digital calendar to schedule your goals and checkpoints. Refer back daily, weekly, or monthly to track progress and adjust as needed. Treat personal appointments like business meetings—you wouldn’t cancel those at the last minute, so don’t cancel time with yourself.
