Retrospective and Goal Setting

As 2023 draws to a close, let's embark on a transformative journey together. 🌟Check this brief yet powerful annual reflection and goal-setting guide.

Part 1: Retrospective, 2023 Review

Note: You can choose between questions 2 and 3 for this section. Choose whichever one speaks more to you!

1. Reflect on your 2023 and take some notes. Transport yourself back to the last days of December 2022. Where were you? Who were you with? What was going on in your career? What was the status of your health? What were you stressed/worried about? What were your hobbies? What did a regular day look like? As you anticipated the year ahead, what were your aspirations and concerns?

If you set clear goals for 2023, recall them now. Write them down.

2. Answer as many of the following questions as you’d like to about your 2023 year:

1. What were your favorite memories?

2. What were the risks you took?

3. Who were the top 3 most influential people in your life this year?

4. What was your biggest surprise?

5. List your top 5 wins of the year.

6. What were your top 3 - 5 disappointments of the year?

7. What are the biggest lessons you learned this year?

8. What did you change your mind about this past year?

9. What is the personal progress you’ve made in the past year that you’re most

10. What stories from last year are you letting go of as you proceed into 2024?

11. What area(s) of your life do you want to transform in 2024?

12. What about your work are you most committed to changing and improving in

13. What advice would you like to give yourself?

3. Create 3 columns: Plus, minus, learned .

1. Plus: What went well this year? What moved you closer to your goals, helped

2. Minus: What didn’t go well this year? What moved you away from your goals,

3. Learned: What are the lessons you learned this year, either as a result of the other two columns, or otherwise? Consider especially the lessons you’d like to take into 2024 to help you achieve your next goals.

Part 2: Planning, Goals for 2024

Take a moment to review all that you’ve written in your annual review above. Start thinking about what you want to achieve in 2024. Are you noticing any themes or patterns? You might want to start with those.

1. Zoom out, and imagine yourself at the end of 2024. It was a successful year. What did you accomplish to make it so? Write down 1-5 year-end goals. Consider the different categories of your life, such as:

2. Family and social

3. Financial and career

4. Physical health

5. Emotional, mental, spiritual

6. Personal skills

7. Let’s work backwards. Looking at your year-end goals, what will you have to have accomplished by June 30th, 2024 to be on track for hitting those goals?

8. What will you have to have accomplished by March 31st, 2024?

9. What will you have to have accomplished by January 31, 2024? Write down 1-5 accomplishments or milestones.

10. There are certain tasks you will have to have completed. But a lot of goals come down to having the proper systems. Choose ONE goal and write down any tasks you know you need to complete in January. Then, write down a system to implement for that goal.

11. If you want to achieve peak physical health by the end of the year (goal), you will have to have a certain lifestyle involving an exercise routine and healthy eating (system). I set out to strength train 3 times a week, do yoga once a week, and go on a walk every day.

12. If you want to be completely sober this year (goal), you will have to be sober every day in January. Are there any habits you find help you stick to this goal, and anything you should avoid? (Eg. When I work out and eat healthy, I don’t feel compelled to drink. When I hang around certain people and places, I do feel compelled to drink. So I should do the former and not the latter in January) (system).

13. If you want to become a better partner or parent (goal), you have to identify the behavior(s) to eliminate, to add, or to adjust, and stick to them every day in January (system).

14. If you want to be more present and less distracted (goal), you have to identify where you’re doing well and where you need to improve, and build a system around that starting in January. For example, disable all notifications and don’t look at your phone/email for the first hour of your day (system).

15. If you want to get promoted or hit a milestone in your business (goal), you should know what’s required of you to achieve that, what’s in your way, and have a daily or weekly system to overcome that personal obstacle (system).

16. If you want to read a certain number of books (goal), you will have to read a certain number of hours per week starting in January (system).

6. What tools or resources can you use to help you stay on track with your systems? Examples:

a. Apps or other type of technology

b. External accountability (friends, family, community)

Congratulations on completing your Annual Review and setting new goals and systems for 2024!