10 things you should do to end (and start) the year strong and inspired for success.
Position yourself for success in the new year by taking a few vital steps now!
“You only grow by coming to the end of something and by beginning something else.”
― John Irving
As you might have already noticed, most people are in their ‘autopilot end of year state’ as I write this.
The office parties, holiday shopping, travel planning, family, friends, partners, and children all grasping for your attention, can easily take its toll. Before you know it, the new year begins and you could be back to your pre-holiday routines and habits.
Even if you believe that you have achieved significant progress this year from your current system, the goal is for YOU to be your first and major competition. So, you should be better than you were last week, last month and definitely do better in the coming year. This is how you stay on top of your game!
Are there situations in your relationships, business/career, or finances that you want to see a positive difference in the new year?
The end of any season or in this case, year, is an opportunity for change and growth.
So, below are some actionable steps that could position you to end the year strong and begin the new year inspired for success.
1. Take personal time for deep reflection
No one else can and should take your life more serious than you. The holidays will throw so many opportunities to be busy at you, so it is your responsibility to find some personal reflection time to sort out plans for your future.
Practicing reflection in essence, involves learning from experiences by consciously going over what you have done, how you felt about it and what you would do different another time.
Try to focus your reflection on three main things:
Think about things you did well and how to replicate them
Think about areas you could have done things a bit better
Think about learning points from the mistakes of other people in your world.
Remember, wise people don’t always wait to learn from their own mistakes; they choose to learn from the mistakes of others and avoid trouble.
2. Get two planners/journals
These two planners should cover your public life (work, public duties) and private life (personal life, close relationships).
Why? Because true success takes into account both the public and private areas of your life.
If you want to achieve a healthy balance, take time to plan measurable goals for each area.
So, while you are writing out 5 things you plan to start doing before 8am or 3 ideas to reach your new financial goal, schedule another thinking time to make similar plans for your private life.
Plan out steps to improve your marriage/relationships, your health, or more time with the kids!
3. Revise (or create) your vision board
Author and motivational speaker, Terri Savelle Foy has written a book about the importance of vision boards and she literally swears by it.
According to her, having a clear vision is one of the most important steps to see results and success in life.
If you already have a vison board, the perfect time to revise it is now! There are things you have already accomplished that you can remove with satisfaction, and probably new goals and dreams you might want to add to your vision board.
If you don’t have a vision board, I suggest you create one that reflects your dreams and life goals. It helps to keep you motivated and inspired to take action towards what you want to achieve.
4. Plan and test out a new personalised routine NOW!
A new year usually inspires resolutions, and to succeed with resolutions, you need a personalised routine plan.
The key here is to take a few days to test out any new routine during the holidays. It helps to take off the pressure in the new year. So, if you want to exercise 3 times a week or commit to reading before bed instead of scrolling on social media, test it out now!
I emphasise ‘personalised’ earlier because not everyone can wake up by 5 am, work on 3 projects before 9 am, and do this consistently.
Find out what works for you and avoid copying what works for someone else.
Remember, everyone is unique!
I for one, have found out that I am very productive early in the morning and late at night after a power evening nap. I have learned to plan my routine to fit in my most challenging and important tasks for these times.
5. Read at least one new book that relates to self-improvement, productivity, and success
The most successful people today are readers. It goes without saying, therefore, that to become a better version of yourself, you should increase in knowledge.
You are where you are today because of what you learnt or didn’t learn in the past year.
As the year ends, get a new book with updated information and trends on self-improvement, productivity or success.
There are people that finish a new book every week outside the holiday period. So, it is very possible to read at least one book over the 2 or 3 weeks break!
Use this time to grow and incorporate your new knowledge into your action plans for the coming year.
6. Meet with your mentor (This could be via Skype)
Try to meet your mentor especially as the year ends, to help you see areas for improvement. Today, we are fortunate to have several communication mediums so you can have a mentor thousands of miles away!
Use the time to go over any new plans, goals or ideas you are thinking about for the coming year and get constructive feedback.
Mentoring is great for your confidence and will inspire you to see possibilities beyond where you are now.
7. Declutter your life
This is an area most people run from but it is vital for clarity and an organised life. Decluttering will:
Give you more space to think, plan and work
Force you to make decisions on what to keep and what to let go
Give you an inner satisfaction that will motivate you to take on more important tasks.
As the year ends, get rid of baggage in your physical environment. Get rid of relationships that are holding you back, and declutter your mind from emotional guilt and stress.
Decide that the new year has no room for anything or anyone that would not promote your progress in life.
8. Come up with a personalised plan to improve your physical and mental health
You need a sound mind and body to execute your goals and plans in the coming year. Take the last few weeks of this year to, first of all, see where you are with your health.
Get a health check-up.
Make a conscious plan to improve your physical and mental health because your body is your first and most important home.
Test out your plan now to see what works for you and what you can commit to. It is only a healthy YOU that can influence your world positively.
9. Forgive yourself and others
Every year comes with its troubles, trials and struggles. You may have given hurt and received hurt.
Take time to reflect and forgive yourself. Don’t be too hard on YOU.
You don’t want to start the year with negative emotions and baggage.
Forgive those who have hurt you not because they deserve it, but because you are a bigger person than they are. Forgiving them means you have made peace with the hurt, and let it go.
10. Remember to rest and get refreshed for the start of a new year!
The percentage of people experiencing burnout every year seems to be increasing.
Technological advancements have not delivered on ‘saved time’ as promised, but we are now expected to do even more with whatever free time we gain.
Make a decision (you can add this to resolutions for next year) to incorporate more rest breaks from your work life, so you can be refreshed and sound to function at optimal capacity.
As the new year brings an opportunity for a reset, make sure you get as much rest and fun as you can muster over the holidays! A refreshed YOU would be ready to end (and start) the year strong, and inspired for success.
Call to action
High yielding people (people that produce x100 outcomes with just x10 effort) have learned to increase their productive capacity and channel who they are into what they do.
If you want to become a high yielding person, GET this free checklist NOW!
Thank you for reading this post! Please clap(up to X50 is allowed), leave a comment and share on social media too!
