January! A fresh new year to dream, visualise and plan. Journalling is a great tool to develop our insight, connect with our inner voice and start to develop clarity about the life you want to lead.
I think we can under-estimate what can be achieved in a year. What do you want to be different in a year’s time?
Late last year I posted 10 Questions to Fuel Your Reflection of 2017. This is integral to reflect back over the whole year, visual what you did with your time (consider the projects you worked on and what you achieved) and really focus on the key learnings you have taken from the year. Most often, we sleep walk through life without taking the time to reflect, grow and stretch into the future. Just as useful as it is to look back, now it’s time to look forward.
Here are 10 questions to help your planning for 2018.
1. How will you step into the highest version of yourself this year?
If you practiced all the habits you wanted, lived your core strengths and you were totally aligned with values – this would be your highest version of you. The game is – how do you edge closer and closer to this person every moment. Think small steps.
2. Describe your ideal day, week and year?
How you live your days is how you live your life! It’s a big statement but it’s true. Our daily habits form the foundations for how you live your life. What is one habit you want to focus on this year and one habit you want to let go of?
3. How will you best utilise your strengths?
Professor Martin Seligman, Director of the University of Penn Positive Psychology Centre found that a key part of flourishing in life and work is using your strengths. To use our strengths, you need to be able to identify them and work on ways to use them more everyday and commit to getting better at them.
4. How will you take care of yourself? What’s your health and wellbeing plan?
Without your health it’s very hard to achieve anything of significance. This means you have to actively plan for sleep, rest, nutrition, movement, mental clarity and fun! How could you step up in terms of your health? What could be a key goal you could achieve that could help motivate you to take care of yourself?
5. What is holding you back?
Otto Scharmer, author of the books Theory U and Leading from the Emerging Future talks about the three voices that hold you back – the voice of judgement (shutting down your open mind instead of being inquiring and curious), the voice of cynicism (shutting down your open heart instead of connecting and relating) and the voice of fear (shutting down your open will instead of letting go). What do you need to leave behind and to tap into the great courage you have?
6. How will you give back to community? How can you be of service to others?
How can you focus on giving to others this year? Often this can provide great energy in our lives. If you were to focus on one area to give back in, what’s it going to be this year? Commit as deeply to this as the other areas in your life. Maybe it could be to join a Not-For-Profit board?
7. What’s your learning plan?
Where do you want to grow, stretch and learn this year? What books can you read? What courses can you take? What conferences can you learn from? What are the key skills you want to learn and foster this year?
8. What relationships do you want to foster?
Who is in your community? Family, friends, networks, work colleagues and neighbours. Be focused on the key relationships you would like to develop this year. Who can help you be the person you want to be? Will you reach out to a new mentor, create a mastermind group, attend a new conference to expand your networks or foster your friendships?
9. How will you be inspired?
What are the inspiration sources that help you stay energised and refreshed for the ups and downs for the year. How can you systemise the inspiration sources so you can perform at an optimal level?
10. What amazing life adventures do you want to do this year?
Ok – now it’s time for a bit of fun. Forget work, think about what is going to bring you joy and fun into your life. What life adventures could you have this year? Think about learning a new skill, visiting a new place or enjoying something with the people you love.
