As I write this we are wrapping up the year 2020. While undoubtedly this year has brought unforeseen challenges for you and your family (hello, global pandemic), there may have been silver linings in your life as well. I love goal setting and thinking about how I want to create a bigger future for me and my family, but I also believe that there is tremendous value in looking back and reflecting on what you learned over the past year. Reflection is a great teacher, and so I encourage you to take some time to reflect on the year 2020 before setting goals for the year 2021.

One great way to reflect on the past year is to think about your greatest accomplishments over the past year and what you are most proud of. Think about three areas of your life: your professional life, your personal life, and your relationships. What happened this year in each of those areas that you are most proud of? Why do you think you were able to move the needle in those areas? What did you learn from those experiences?

Next, think about challenges that you faced, and how you strove to overcome them. Again, think about three areas of your life: your professional life, your personal life, and your relationships. Were those challenges external challenges or internal challenges? How successfully did you face them? What did you learn from those experiences?

Finally, reflect on how you’ve grown over this past year. This is probably the most important reflection question of all. How are you a different person? How are your habits different? What do you know now that you didn’t know in 2019? How can you apply these lessons to make the year 2021 your best year yet?

Armed with this knowledge, you’re ready for goal setting for the year 2021. Stay tuned to my next article for a guided goal setting strategy. If you would like additional support in reflecting on your year and goal setting for next year, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can email me directly at liz@lizbapasola.com.