The start of the new year is an ideal time to reflect on our personal goals and dreams. It can be hard to maintain our motivation if life has thrown unexpected obstacles in our paths. Sometimes we set out with the best of intentions but life gets in the way and our goals remain unchecked or incomplete. Don’t fret! It’s time to recalibrate our goals and get back on track.

For some, this season marks a time to set new resolutions while others use it as an opportunity to reflect on the past year’s achievements. If we’re in the latter group, it’s time to take a look at 2022’s goals and see what was accomplished. Let’s explore why reflecting on our yearly goals is important and why it’s needed as we prepare for 2023.

As we prepare for the new year, we should:

• Review our current situation,
• Refocus on our vision, and 
• Recalibrate to refine the old goals and/or add new ones

“Approach the new year with resolve to find the opportunities hidden in each new day” Michael Josephson

REVIEW!

Review: ‘to look back on, take a retrospective view of’ OR  ‘to go over or examine critically or deliberately’ (Merriam Webster)

When conducting our annual reviews, it’s best to start by writing down all of our major accomplishments from the past year. This will help give us a sense of satisfaction and motivate us to continue working toward success in the new year. Reflection is a powerful tool. It helps us stay focused and it can give us a better perspective on how far we have come. 

• Evaluate your Growth:

Seeing our growth over time can be incredibly rewarding! When we pause to consider what has happened in our lives within the past 12 months, we can gain insight into who we are, where we have been, and where we are heading. 

• Identify Areas of Improvement

Reflection helps evaluate how much progress has been made since last year so that any areas for improvement can be identified and addressed going forward. Identifying areas for improvement opens up conversations about necessary changes that must be made if new goals are to be achieved by this time next year. 

• Identify Milestones

Let’s focus on what we have accomplished so far this year. If we have achieved some of the milestones, let’s give ourselves credit for them! We should celebrate all of our wins no matter how small they may seem. Let us acknowledge the progress we have made, give ourselves a treat, and use it as motivation to keep going forward. 

• Identify Disparities

Let’s compare where we are now to where we wanted to be when we set our goals. Let’s ask questions such as: How far along are we? What successes have we had so far? What challenges have we encountered? How different is our current life from the one we desire?

REFOCUS!

Refocus: “to focus something again OR to change emphasis or direction” Merriam Webster 

Once we have celebrated our successes, it is time to refocus by taking a look at our original goals to decipher what needs to be changed.

• Reconsider our Goals With Fresh Eyes 

Let us ask ourselves what worked well and what didn’t work out as planned. By doing this, we can identify areas where there is room for improvement or adjustments that need to be made. Maybe there was an area where we could have been more organised or efficient, or maybe there were unforeseen challenges that had an impact on the outcome of our goal-setting efforts. Whatever it may be, we should assess the situation and determine how best to move forward from here. 

“When establishing new goals, be sure to evaluate how you may have changed in the last year; this ensures that new goals are in line with any character changes.”

Coach D – D31 Coaching

We must create reasonable timelines for completing each of our goals for 2023. Breaking down each goal into smaller milestones that are easy to measure will allow us to track our progress along the way. This will help motivate us by providing a sense of accomplishment when milestones are met which will in turn spur further action toward achieving those bigger goals by year-end. Additionally, setting shorter deadlines will help ensure that tasks don’t drag out longer than necessary, and put undue strain on resources such as time and money.  

• Focus on What we can Control 

It’s easy to get caught up in things that are out of our control, like the pandemic or economic uncertainty, but we must try to focus on what we can control. Instead of worrying about external factors, let’s focus on how we can use changes as opportunities for growth and development. For example, if we planned to travel but couldn’t due to restrictions, we can look for ways we can explore different cultures from home through virtual tours and online classes. 

RECALIBRATE!

Recalibrate: “to change the way you do or think about something” (Cambridge Dictionary)

Once we have reviewed where we are at and refocused on where we want to go, then we must recalibrate our goals to achieve the vision for the New Year. 

• Set Realistic Goals 

The first step in recalibrating our goals is to set realistic expectations for ourselves. While it’s important to dream big, it’s also important to make sure that our goals are achievable within a reasonable amount of time. We should ensure that we break down large goals into smaller, more achievable steps so that we can track our progress and stay motivated. 

• Staying Motivated 

Staying motivated is key when it comes to achieving any goal – especially the ones that may seem overwhelming at first glance. A great way to stay motivated is by rewarding ourselves for small successes along the way – even if it’s something as simple as an extra hour of sleep or an indulgent treat after completing a task! Additionally, try setting up accountability partners who can give encouragement throughout the process and hold us accountable when things get tough. 

• Stay Flexible 

Life rarely goes according to plan and sometimes unexpected changes throw off our initial timeline or goal trajectory. That doesn’t mean all hope is lost! Staying flexible and open-minded will help us adapt quickly when something unexpected comes up or when things don’t go according to plan. It will also enable us to take advantage of new opportunities that may arise unexpectedly throughout the year.   

Despite the disruption caused by the global pandemic, there is still plenty of room for achieving success in 2023 with some smart goal setting and recalibration strategies like these ones! Setting realistic expectations, focusing on what we can control, and staying flexible are all key elements in making sure we reach our desired outcomes this year – whatever those might be! With these strategies in place, there’s no reason why we won’t be able to achieve success this year! 

Blessings and prosperity in abundance to all for the new year and beyond!