Preparing Yourself for a Fresh Start

The New Year is a classic time for reflecting on your successes and in the challenges of the past year. It’s also a time to look at what you want to do differently in the upcoming year. Many use the dawning of January 1st as a fresh start. While it can be very powerful to share your New Year’s resolutions, you need to do a little prep work to give yourself a better chance of success.

Once you determine what changes you want to make in the upcoming year, take the time to go inward and reflect on your goals. Make sure that they are ambitious, but achievable. Find the balance between challenging yourself and not setting yourself up for failure. After you meditate on your resolutions, it’s time to consider the following questions.

What are my priorities? Oftentimes you will have more than one goal that you’d like to achieve. You must take the time to prioritize what gets the bulk of your attention and resources. Is it more important for you to quit smoking or lose weight? Only you can make that decision.

Who are my allies? Identify the people in your life who care about you and will support your changes. It needs to be someone who you trust to give you honest advice and someone who will listen to your frustrations with an open mind. This is also a person who will help you celebrate your successes.

What is toxic in your life? Figure out the people, places and activities that hold you back. These are the things in life that drain your energy and positivity. Fulfill any commitments you have and move on with a free conscience.

What resources do I have available? Your money, time, material goods and people in your network are all an integral part of the puzzle. Determine the resources that you have on hand and which ones you need to procure. Come up with a plan to put your resources to work for you.

What do I have to say no to? There are simply not enough hours in the day to do it all. Saying yes to something new often means that you will have to say no to something else. Don’t be afraid to say no to give yourself the time and mental energy that you need to be successful in the New Year.

When are my deadlines? Get your goals up on the calendar. Don’t miss out on the big race because you forgot to register. If your goal doesn’t have a hard deadline, write a few dates on the calendar and check in with yourself. This is a great time to reflect on where you were when you started and how far you’ve come. Don’t get down on yourself. Even small changes should be celebrated.

What’s my relaxation plan?—Commit to yourself. Take time to relax. If you are going to have challenging times, you will need down time. It doesn’t have to be expensive or complex, but you have to have a relaxation plan.

While New Year is a rather arbitrary date on the calendar, it is an important symbol and reminder that you can start fresh, improve your life and get closer to who you want to be.