As we begin to put 2022 in the rear-view mirror and focus on moving forward in 2023, here are some helpful questions to sit and ponder over to help you set out what you would like to achieve in 2023.
It can be helpful to find a quiet spot for yourself where you will not be interrupted, put the phone on silent, grab a notebook and pen, maybe light a candle, or grab a cup of tea, whatever you want to do to set a comfortable creative space for yourself.
Looking back to move forward – reviewing 2022
1) Was there anything specific you hoped to achieve in 2022 and did you achieve it?
2) Whether you achieved it or not, what factors contributed to you achieving or not achieving your goals?
3) What 3 words would you use to sum up this past year for yourself?
Moving forward into 2023
1) Flash forward to December 31st, 2023. You’re feeling content, healthy, happy, and fulfilled. Imagine yourself looking back through 2023. What actions or steps did you take to help you feel this way? What in your daily routine changed?
2) Write a bullet list of what you’d like to achieve in 2023 if there were no limitations or hurdles in your way.
3) Rank the bullet list in order of importance to you with 1 being the most important and so on.
4) Taking the most important point on the list to you, consider what steps you can take to help you achieve this goal.
5) What is your main driving force for achieving this goal, what’s your why?
6) How would you feel if you did not achieve this goal?
7) Can you visualise what your life will look like when you achieve this goal? Describe it in detail – how will you feel, look, act etc. Get into the detail.
8) You can continue to carry out steps 4 to 7 on any of the other bullet points on the list you created in step 3.
When we set out a lot of things to achieve it can feel very overwhelming and almost too big of a task to comprehend. It’s very useful to break it down into small steps. Remember to celebrate every win along the way not just the achievement of the overall goal. Check in with yourself regularly and review your notes from today. Ask yourself, what have you done to help yourself move a step closer to achieving your goals?
If the thoughts of the above exercise feel all too overwhelming or daunting to do, remember that the smallest changes have the biggest impact. Deciding to go to bed a little bit earlier every week for a month and move for 5 – 10 minutes a day more than you currently do – those 2 small changes alone can go a long way to helping you move forward to where you want to be. Remember, it does not have to be all or nothing. Small steps lead to big changes.
Wishing you all the very best for 2023 and thank you for taking the time to read this and support my small Irish business. Ádh mór ort!