“The best way to predict the future is to create it yourself.”

Peter Diamandis

The New Year is such an exciting time, full of celebration and joy. It’s the time when people pull out their journals and markers and write out their hopes, dreams, and resolutions for the year ahead. These new year rituals are powerful and exciting and can help you set the perfect tone for what’s to come. If you’re ready for some new year reflection, let us help you push the big reset button and get clear for the year ahead.

In this post, we’ll explore how you can create your own habits and practices around the new year that will help you move toward a more prosperous and productive time! And even though we’re focusing on the big picture of an entire calendar year, you can actually use these ideas any time you need a reset. In fact, depending on how you run your business, your life, your finances, or your family, you may want to do similar practices on a monthly or quarterly basis! The Prosperity Thinkers team actually runs on “trimesters,” and you have the flexibility to do what works for you!

End of Year Reflection: Out With the Old

As the year winds down, it’s tempting to launch into the next year with aplomb. However, an end of year reflection is what can lead to a truly fruitful new year ritual. When you can reflect on the past year, you allow yourself to identify what worked for you, and what didn’t. The wins and challenges of the past year are what ultimately inform your future path. So it’s critical you take what lessons you can from those experiences.

There’s also incredible value in closure—accepting what has happened and allowing yourself to say goodbye and move forward. Equally, take the time to celebrate that which you’ve accomplished, too.

Questions for End of Year Reflection

The real question is, HOW do you reflect on the year in a productive way? For many people, a journal of some sort is the ideal way to go. It doesn’t have to be formal, you could even use your notes app on your phone. You can spend five minutes per question, or you can spend the whole day on this exercise. Do what feels right for you.

“What do I want to remember about this year?”

Allow your answers to be broad, here. Think about the memories you’ve cultivated—trips you took, people you visited, sentimental moments, hilarious moments, etc. What events occurred that you’ll cherish forever? Writing them down can help cement them in your mind, and you’ll have something to look back on someday. If it’s really important to you, consider adding some photos to the journal, or creating an album on your phone dedicated to your “highlight reel” of the year.

“What did I accomplish this year?”

This is such an important question to reflect on because there’s probably more than you realize. Start with the big things, and then work your way through the year and consider even your small victories and how those have shaped you. These accomplishments should help you feel proud of the year behind you, and energized for the year ahead of you. They may even shape the vision you set for 2023.

“What did I learn this year?”

You can honor the lessons you’ve learned by reflecting on them, and reminding yourself of how you’ll continue to implement your learnings as you move into the new year. Your lessons come not only from success, either. Consider what your challenges and failures have taught you, too. You can also look to the mentors you’ve worked with, the books you read, the conferences you attended, and the videos you’ve watched for your lessons learned. Writing them down will help you make sure they stick!

“How have I grown or changed this past year?”

Life isn’t just about “doing”… after all, we are human “beings”! It’s important to recognize your progress and celebrate your evolving self. As Zig Ziglar said, “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”

With that in mind, how have you grown into the person you are now? Celebrate that!

“Is there anything else I’d like to say TO this past year?”

Consider this your final goodbye to 2022. What would you like to say to the past year? Maybe you’re eager to leave it behind you, in which case, get your closure by writing out that hearfelt goodbye! If you’re reluctant, maybe write a message of gratitude for what a wonderful year 2022 has been. (Or, combine the two, because gratitude can certainly make any situation more positive.)

The benefit is in the process of saying goodbye so that you can enter the new year with a clean slate.

There’s no right or wrong way to answer these questions. You may even think of more questions you’d like to address as a part of your new year reflection ritual. You may choose not to write anything down, and instead meditate on the questions or reflect on them over a long walk. Maybe you’ll write a poem or reflect through your art. Do what feels good for YOU. And even if you get a late start (say mid-January), who cares? It’s never “too” late.

New Year Goal-Setting vs. Visioneering

Once you’ve said goodbye, it’s time to say hello! And many people say hello via new year goal-setting. We’re here to encourage you to adjust your language slightly, and work on setting a “vision.” Tammi Brannan of the Blueprint Process calls this “visioneering.” So what is a vision?

A vision is a big-picture idea of what you want to do, while a goal is a very narrow metric. For example, a goal may be to “open a retail business by July.” A vision is going to be a bit broader, with room for flexibility, like “launch a business that supports my Purpose.” You may get more detailed, but you’re allowing room for play and flexibility so that you have many paths to success.

Another way to think about it is that your Vision is supported by your Goals. So the vision is the broad, big-picture idea and the goals are the specific steps you’ll take to get there. You don’t need to have all of your goals figured out right away to start making progress, and your “next” goal may only become clear once you’ve reached your first goal. Allow these to be small steps leading you toward the big picture, even if the big picture is a bit fuzzy!

So before you set any goals, think about your Vision for the year. What’s the big-picture that you want to accomplish for the year? Let that guide your goals and objectives as you’re doing your new year goal-setting.

Goal-Setting and Goal-Getting

“A goal is a dream with a deadline.”

Napoleon Hill

One of the reasons behind Visioneering in the first place is that when we set to many goals for ourselves, the rigidity of them can seem daunting. And many times people set broad goals that should really be Visions. So when people have trouble accomplishing these goals, they feel disappointment and shame. You can set yourself up for success, however, by allowing your big-picture ideas to be guiding visions and your steps to accomplishment to be your goals. Then, you can turn your goal-setting into goal-getting!

Here’s how to make the shift:

Write your goals down.

It is said that “a goal not written down is just a wish.” Writing down your Vision first, and then your goals, allows you to keep them top of mind. It gives you the ability to read, review, and share them. When you do this, they become real.

Writing goals by hand is even more effective, say experts. When you hand-write your goals instead of simply selecting letters on a computer, you are building more neural pathways, which helps you to improve your results.

Make them specific and sensory.

What exactly do you want to accomplish, and by when? What will it feel/ look/ sound/ taste like? The more your goals and intentions use your senses, the more real they become to you.

Feel/see them accomplished in the present tense.

Rather than thinking “of” our goals as something happening in the future, brain scientists say it is much more powerful to look “from” our goals, as if they are already accomplished.

Want to run a marathon? See yourself at the finish line celebrating. Want to write a book? Do the cover first, and wrap it around an existing book to “see” it done. Want to add $1k or $10k to your monthly cash flow? Imagine yourself already enjoying the benefits of your additional income.

Give proactive gratitude for the goals you want to accomplish. One formula is to take your top goals and practice finishing the sentence, “I am so happy and thankful that… (describe your goal fulfilled).” Don’t simply say the words… tune into your body and allow yourself to feel the gratitude!

Be inspired by your vision.

Being realistic is optional, yet identifying a vision you are passionate about is necessary if you want to reach it.

We recommend identifying your vision in an inspired state of mind. Think of what makes you feel inspired, and do those things just before you start visioneering. For example, I like to take long walks out in nature, read books from entrepreneurs I know and/or admire, pray and express gratitude, and watch inspiring movies. What helps you break past the limits of your mind?

Set a vision in every important area in your life.

Use a life wheel, list, or other tools to help you focus on every aspect of the big picture that’s important to you. I use my Visioneering Platform that I developed with the help of my sister, Tammi Brannan, which allows me to rank how satisfied I am in the different aspects of my life. Those categories are the 6 Fs—family, finances, faith, friends, food, and fitness. Then I can determine how I’ll set a vision and goals within those categories, and in what priorities.

In the next part of the Visioneering Platform, I identify my overall Vision for these categories. Then I can identify habits, steps, projects, and people that will help me accomplish that Vision. This platform is available for Prosperity Thinkers clients who join the Prosperity Pledge.

7 Tips for New Year Goal-Setting and Visioneering Success:

1. Commit to the process. Move past any resistance or excuses. Whether it’s an hour, an afternoon, or a week along intention-setting retreat by the ocean, set aside the time to do it.
2. Change your space. Don’t reflect and set visions and goals in your office or on your living room couch. A change of venue and environment will work wonders. To think outside of the box, get outside of your box!
3. Don’t leave the kids out. Goal setting is an area where children can be included almost effortlessly. Ask what they want to do this year that they haven’t done before, and make sure you’ve got pen and paper ready to write it all down!
4. Share them with someone else. Private goals and visions are easy to abandon. Accountability and support are key to achieving dreams and goals.
5. List the actions needed for your vision, and take the first one. The success of any vision hinges upon your ability to take action, and early momentum is a strong predictor of success. 
6. Celebrate your successes. Whether it’s chocolate, a party, or a trip to Paris, make sure you are giving yourself kudos for your accomplishments before you aim for the next.
7. Make it a habit. Whether it’s one hour a week, one day a month, or something you do annually, make a tradition of reflection, envisioning, and goal-setting a regular part of your life. These are the high-impact hours that can change everything.

What’s on your New Year Bucket List?

Visioneering and goal-setting is all well and good, yet be sure to include some “Bucket List” activities in your new year reflection as well! So amongst your Vision and the goals you set to get there, be sure to consider what adventures you’d like to have, too. These can help you invite more enjoyment into your life, and can prove to be great memory-making activities with the kids.

Bucket List items can be anything you want, yet consider them things that you haven’t done before. You may have an annual list, or a “master” list for your entire life that you update on a regular basis. It’s totally up to you!

Your bucket list inclusions can be things like:

• Places you’d like to travel
• Classes you’d like to take
• Events you want to attend
• People you want to visit
• Foods you haven’t tried before
• Family vacations
• Skills you want to learn
• And so much more!

Your bucket list can be whatever you want, just have fun with it!

What have you checked off your bucket list? What would you like to add to it?

Need Support to Reach Your Goals and Visions?

Tammi Brannan and her team of Blueprint Practitioners help people go through the Blueprint Process, which helps you find your Purpose. She and the Blueprint Practitioners are a tremendous support to those wanting to make life and career transitions.

Kim Butler of Prosperity Thinkers helps people build wealth without Wall Street using Prosperity Economics strategies. Contact Prosperity Thinkers to get started with Whole Life Insurance and savings strategies today.