10 Meaningful Areas to Ponder in the New Year

It’s an undeniable fact - most New Year’s resolutions fail. Not because we don’t want to improve our situation or have a lack of motivation – we do! The truth is, most of us don’t take the time to really create goals that will work for us.

When January 1st rolls around, there’s tremendous pressure to outline goals and resolutions for the next 365 days. Many of us are exhausted from the holiday celebrations and we jump into kneejerk promises- lose weight, focus more, etc. We don’t take the time to really assess where we hurt or dream the most.

This Reflection time is not just important – it’s VITAL. It gives us the opportunity to acknowledge our challenges, difficulties – and our successes. It helps us see where we have grown and what directions we would like to take next. If we pause and reflect first, we’re more likely to dig deeper and those goals will align more with our values and who we are.

So this year, I suggest you STOP. If you’ve made resolutions, write them down and put them aside. If you haven’t, that’s perfect. Because mid January is a quieter, better time for an ADDer to make those goals. With the majority of the holidays behind us and the new year before us, it’s a great opportunity to pause for a bit and think about what we value in our lives, how we are honoring those values, what we’ve achieved in the past year and what we’d like to accomplish in the upcoming year.

So, I encourage you right now to set aside some time to ponder and reflect. What is it that you really want to do this year that will have you moving forward towards your most meaningful and fulfilling you? This is a great time to stare out of the window. Listen to some music. Get out your favorite pen. Start by simply jotting down your thoughts and learnings from this past year.

Below are some areas you might want to ponder:

1. What would you like MORE of and LESS of in your life? What hurts the most and what do you feel is missing in your life?
2. What are your big achievements from this past year (include academic, personal, spiritual or professional)?
3. What you are most excited about for the coming year? What do you really, really want this year? Why is that important to you? What excites you about it? How would it change your life?
4. What do you want to say “yes” to this next year?
5. If anything were possible, what do you want to be/do/have in this next year?
6. What did you learn this past year that you can use to accomplish this year’s goals? What do you need to learn this year that will help you accomplish this year’s goals?
7. What is the permission you need/want to reach your desired goals?
8. Who are your allies/support/partners in helping you reach your goals?
9. What negative self-talk gets in the way of reaching your goals? What can you say to yourself instead?
10. What is the secret, wacky and wild goal you want to achieve this year?

I’d love to hear what you are going to accomplish this year!