Prepare Yourself, Personally & Professionally, for 2017

by Krista Scarlett | Jun 28, 2016

Don’t Wait, Start Now

Many professionals use the time between Christmas and the new year to reflect on the last 12 months and prepare for the upcoming year. But, why wait until then? A gradual reflection and planning process is more manageable and far more rewarding. Here are a few tips to help you start the process.

Reflect

Use this time to focus on yourself: your highs, your lows, your accomplishments, and your shortcomings. Keep a journal and reflect daily, weekly, or monthly. Focus on all areas of your life including mind, body, and soul. Here are a few questions to get you started:

Do you challenge yourself to grow intellectually every day?
Are you content with the person in the mirror?
What brings you joy or happiness?
What are you most appreciative of today?
Do you have high expectations for yourself?
What do others expect from you?
Are the people closest to you happy?

Continue the assessment by focusing on personal and professional areas of growth:

What have you learned this year?
What are your biggest successes?
Have you reached a personal milestone?
Have you hit your peak potential in your career?
Have you had any revelations this year?
Have you hit your goals for the week, month, and year?
What do you want to follow-up with in the coming year?
What do you want to stop doing?

This gives you an opportunity to track the changes in your life, embrace them, and create a plan for areas that still need growth.

Plan

After your assessment is complete, keep the momentum going by channeling these thoughts and passions into next year’s plan. This is the exciting phase. Now that you have your list of things to improve upon, you’re ready to build a stronger, brighter plan for the future.

Most of the planning will come naturally. Make sure you create balance by establishing goals for all areas of your life. Here are some questions to help you on your way:

List a few attainable and specific accomplishments for the coming year.
What are the areas you want to develop?
Is there anyone you want to reconnect with?
How can you make your life simpler?
What dream(s) do you want to fulfill next year?

Repeat

The reflection and planning process never truly ends. It’s important to focus on emotionally fulfilling solutions that push you outside of your comfort zone. The key to personal growth is being comfortable with being uncomfortable.