New year

Preparing for a New Year

This year, as I am writing my fifth book, Mental Freedom, 2023 is unfolding as my year of preparation. I have always had a strong drive to create new material and products. It’s how I spend a lot of my time. This year, as I am planning to release a suite of Mental Freedom products in January 2024, I am realizing I need to be more strategic in my preparation.

A few years ago I developed this strategic process to plan for the year ahead. I want to re-share it here:

  1. Relax – In order to optimize your thinking processes, it’s most helpful to be relaxed. I recommend some meditation to begin your planning session.
  2. Reflect  – Before beginning to set goals, it will be helpful to review where you are now and the progress you’ve made thus far. If you begin to beat yourself up for not making the progress you think you should have, put the brakes on and be kind to yourself. If you have something you want to do, you have at least been thinking about it, perhaps researching it, and talking to others about it. All of this is progress. Give yourself credit for anything you’ve done, including reading this blog.
  3. Rejuvenate  – Rejuvenating is about doing something that rebuilds your energy. If you are serious about making changes in your life, it will be much easier to do when you are feeling energetic and optimistic rather than feeling exhausted or beaten down by life. Make time each day to do something you love that replenishes your energy.
  4. Renovate  – Renovating is about deciding what changes you want to make, what goals you want to accomplish and the steps you will take to get there. It is also helpful to write down the “why” of what you intend to do. If you want to lose weight, and your why is so you can buy cuter clothes, that may not be a reason that will motivate you when you are losing the energy to stay your course. But if losing weight is so you will be healthy enough to play with your grandchildren, that may be the reason you will stay on track. You need to find the motivating reason for you.
  5. Remind – This is the step that is often forgotten. You will need to build in a system to remind yourself of your commitments. This can be done by calendaring the steps you’ve committed to, engaging a reliable accountability partner, hiring a coach or joining/forming a mastermind group. During this final step, it’s important to remind yourself of your heartfelt reason for wanting to accomplish your goals. It is that reason that will internally motivate you to continue your journey toward your goals instead of ending your quest with the Super Bowl kickoff.
I like to choose a word or phrase to summarize my year. In 2021, it was “Nothing happens to me; everything happens for me,” which served me very well. This year my word was “Limitless,” which helped me get my mind right about what is possible. In 2023, my phrase is “strategic preparation.” What is your word or phrase for 2023?
If you would like some help planning goals, check out my Goal Attainment ebook.  If you purchase it now you will only pay $9.99. I am currently working on a new version that will be available in the next few weeks.  The price will be going up to $24.99.  If you purchase now at $9.99 you will receive the current version, but the new version will be sent to you absolutely free when it becomes available.

I wish you a most successful new year, whatever your goals are!

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