As we head into a new year, many of us have already made resolutions that will help improve our lives. When you are feeling “stuck” it is often the best time to reflect on your personal growth and move forward. Look ahead and let go of some old ways that are maybe no longer serving us.

Before the New Year starts is usually a time where we can reflect on personal goals and make a plan to move forward.

I have spent some time reflecting on my own goals for the coming year and I thought it would be beneficial to share with you my advice on how you can prepare for a new year.

1) Reflect on what went well during the previous year

– What did you accomplish?

– Set yourself up for success by creating a list of your accomplishments from the past year.

– How did you improve?

– Set yourself up for success by creating a list of everything that went well and where you improved in your life. Include both big and small ways that you feel you improved.

2) Evaluate how much progress you made towards your goals from last year- look at what you did and how it worked (or didn’t work).

– What were your goals?

– What did you do to reach those goals?

Things may not have turned out the way we thought they would, but we can still take a look at everything we tried and see what was successful and where improvement is needed. Sometimes less is more, so don’t feel obligated to try every avenue to reach your goals.

3) Make a plan for the new year- think about how you will improve

– What are you passionate about?

– Think of what made you excited in life before all the stress and drama took over. This could be any number of things including time with friends and family, exercise, music, art, or anything else that brings you joy.

– Make a list of short and long-term goals

– Try to make your short-term goals reasonable so they are achievable.

If you set yourself up for success the first time around it will be easier to reach your long-term goal as well. The important part is to make sure you enjoy the journey.

– What are your values?

– Before reaching a goal it is important to make sure that it aligns with your core values.

Will this goal take away from something in your life? Is this going to give you what you want in life? If not, then try planning for another way to reach the goal that will not interfere with anything important.

4) What is one thing you can do differently to support your goals?

– sometimes reaching your goals requires taking small steps every day to get ahead. It might take some time, but it will be worth it in the end!

– Create a list of things that would help you reach your goals.

– Experiment with one of the things on that list for a week, then choose another one to try if that first step doesn’t work out. This is just an experiment so you have nothing to lose.

5) Evaluate how life-changing these changes are

– Make sure everything you are planning will bring you closer to the life you want to live. If not, what will?

– How are your goals going to benefit you in both the short term and long term? Will this goal take away from anything important that is already in your life?

6) Reward yourself when needed

– Don’t forget to celebrate small achievements along the way. Even tiny rewards when you accomplish a small goal will help keep your motivation up!

– Rewarding yourself is a great way to show yourself that you care and that this new goal or activity isn’t all about work.

7) Spend time with positive people who have the life you want to have, not with nay-sayers who bring down your dreams.

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8) Be proud of yourself for being brave enough to have goals and the discipline to reach them!

– It takes courage to think about what you want in life and then go after it. You are doing great!   

9) Focus on things you know you can do, and what is within your control.

This is just the beginning of a long journey that will change your life for the better!

– Try not to worry about the things you can’t control.

10) Be your own best friend and support yourself during this journey.

– Sometimes we are our own worst critics, and it is important to give ourselves credit for everything we do well (even if that is only staying alive).

– Talk to yourself like you would talk to your best friend.

– We live in a world where so many people suffer from self-esteem issues, so be proud of yourself for having the courage to change your life.

Most importantly, remember that whatever happens this new year is meant to be part of your journey and something you can learn from. No matter what happens this year, try to be open and ready to accept all new experiences. These are valuable because our lives would be boring without them.

A therapist will be able to provide insight from an outside perspective and can push you to think about what has worked for you and what hasn’t. For the most part, a therapist has learned to be able to listen to people’s problems and provide insight that will lead certain people to find the answer themselves.

For more info and inquiries:

Email : vrivera@wellnesspsychotherapistnyc.com  

Phone : (917) 495-3858