10 Minutes to Kick Off A Stronger New Year
There is a profound difference between viewing the new year as another flip of the calendar vs. an opportunity for celebrating your past successes and setting yourself up for a strong beginning.
It’s all about the questions you ask.
What about the last year was exciting?
What did you accomplish in the previous year that surprised you?
What lessons did you learn from your failures in the past year?
What are you grateful for?
Who are the top 5 people who lifted you up the most or inspired you in the past year? (not just your family)
Who are 5 people who drained your energy over the past year?
Assuming that you’ll want to create an amazing 2020, you’ll need to weed out some negative people in your life. This can seem tough at times, but if their energy and attitude is draining you, it will be impossible to realize the year you desire.
Have you learned from your failures over the past year? If not, I would encourage you to seek out the advice of a mentor or coach and listen to their perspective.
Finally, make a commitment to surround yourself with positive relationships, growth opportunities, and good choices for your future.
In your schedule for this New Year add in the positive relationships and experiences that helped you grow and make positive choices on your future.
Dave “The Shef” Sheffield, Business Motivational speaker and Coach says that sometimes you need to “Love the negative folks from a distance” so they don’t pollute your mind.
As you look back at the past year, note your responsibilities. These are the things you had to do at work and at home. Look for the “right” things you had to do not the ones you were “guilted into or have done because of fear”.
Living a “successful life” is about being an active participant in the planning, execution, and follow up of the events. It’s all about wanting to learn how you spent your time last year and if you made the right choices for your time, energy, and commitments.
Which goals did you reach last year?
How did you grow over the past 12 months?
Did the choices you made produce the best outcome for you?
Did your choices drain you or help you learn and grow?
By reflecting, thinking about your past, you can make for this New Year a plan that will have positive choices with positive relationships that help you grow, learn, and help you reach your goals.
It’s all about the “returns” for your effort!
If you are already in the New Year it is not too late to do a review of 2019. Ask yourself the following 3 questions:
1) What were your positive growth experiences for last year and who were they with? (Positive relationships that stretch your abilities and help you grow. Surround yourself with these positive relationships in the New Year.)
2) On the left side of your paper list, “what were the wrong choices you made last year?” (This list you will avoid for the New Year.)
3) On the right side of your paper list, “what were the right choices you made last year?”
Your 10 minutes of reflection will kick off your New Year and make it stronger.
Madeline Frank, Ph.D. is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, concert artist, and parent. She helps businesses and organizations “Tune Up their Business”. Her observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her latest book “Leadership On A Shoestring Budget” is available everywhere books are sold. If you need a speaker contact Madeline at: mfrankviola@gmail.com
