It’s only mid-December, and you’re already inundated with blog posts, email newsletters, Facebook posts and tweets to tell you how to end this year and start the next. Whether they’re based on principles derived from Tony Robbins, Getting Things Done, Franklin-Covey, or whatever is the latest change-your-life system, it’s all about:

• Setting goals for next year, that are specific in time and amount.
• Picking three words (or one word) as your “theme” or focus for the year.
• Creating a matrix analysis of specific goals for each area of your life.

Yep, by being intentional, it makes it much more likely that your goals will happen in 2014. Classic life coaching strategy.

But … that’s the wrong place to start.

Start with: what really happened in 2013?

I don’t just mean which goals you achieved, how much money you made, how many miles you ran, or how many tasks you got done (even though those can be awesome stats to measure).

No, not last year’s data.

Here’s the big question:

Who are you now, that you were not capable of being one year ago?

• Are you more brave?
• Are you now open to bigger opportunities?
• Did you learn, grow, expand as a friend or in your profession or as a leader?
• Do you now feel comfortable in your own body?
• Are you now capable of setting strong boundaries?
• Do you finally trust yourself?
• Did you heal?

Yes, maybe you’re still seemingly stuck in that job, relationship, debt, sickness, or city.

But the year where it seemed like nothing happened—may be the year where you happened.

Start out 2014 by celebrating who you are capable of being today, that you couldn’t yet be, one year ago.

From that place of being, you now have the center and the power to decide how much you want to be at the end of 2014.