I’m a reformed goal junkie.

Once obsessed with setting every 1-5-10 year goal under the sun, I now cannot be bothered with them. Because they’re so tied to achievement, and so rarely tied to the things that really matter to us. They sound good on paper, but they have little follow through. We can’t just write a goal down and expect it to make us happy. Just like we can’t write a goal down and expect it to happen.

Have you ever set out to accomplish a goal, only to feel a whole lot of “OK, now what?” once you’ve achieved it. Or worked REALLY hard towards something and the bottom just completely falls out on your desire once you get there like, “OK, this is it?” Setting a goal won’t make us happy. And they sure as heck wont change your life. You won’t be any happier when…than you are right now. Right now.

What will help you get to a future that you’re really freaking pumped about….and a year that you can be REAL proud of…is to take a few minutes to turn around. To look at where you’ve been. To look at what you’ve loved. What drained you. What lit you up like a lamp post.

If you want to get 2019 off to a really beautiful start, start by looking back at 2018.

Ask yourself: 

What did I do that made me the most proud?

What actions did I take that gave me the most energy?

When did I feel the most inspired?

What activities, people, or projects completely drained me?

What activities, people, or projects completely energized me?

(If you want to take reflection SUPER seriously – which I encourage – do these 25 questions for reflection)

Then plan:

Write down three impossibly small plans that you can make for the very first month of this new year. Make them small. Make them count. And if you’re feeling frisky, write down someone’s name next to each of the plans that can help you and keep you accountable.

This will be the type of small strategy that will give you huge momentum. Each month, each quarter, ask yourself, “What’s the absolute smallest plan I can make?” And then go do that. Small plans are manageable. They’ll give you immediate feedback. They’ll be the small stone that builds the masterpiece of your path.