Happy New Year!!! Another holiday season is behind us. We’re packing up our decorations, tucking them away for next year. Before we jump head first into 2015, it might be useful to look back at 2014. The definition of insanity applies here: doing the same thing while hoping for a different outcome. We look forward to a better year but often we don’t do anything to foster the improvement.
Yesterday I sat down and created a grid to help me look at 2014 and plan for positive changes for 2015. I am not an incredibly analytical person. I don’t get excited about graphs and numbers. I am a feeler. My tendency is to just go with each day and see what it brings with little planning. I don’t like New Year’s resolutions because I rarely meet my unreachable goals. That said, I know it’s important to evaluate the past and implement new strategies. I listen to the analytical planners because they tend to be much more productive than my “no planning, no disappointment” partners. I want to be intentional about my life, not haphazard and directionless.
So here’s what my grid looks like:
Most of the growth areas are self explanatory. I used the word “intellectually” for knowledge and information. “Industriously” is the category for work, volunteering or the doing part of our lives. Along the top, “Resources” are the people, systems, items or strategies you might need to help you achieve your growth. For instance, if I want to improve my memory by using Lumosity daily, a resource is putting a reminder on my phone.
Take some time in the next few days to evaluate your 2014 and consider areas in which you would like to grow this year. None of us is in a position to say there’s nothing we need to work on. If you believe you don’t need to grow ask those around you if they agree. Chances are if you believe you don’t need to work on any part of yourself, you have a considerable amount of work ahead of you! If you are breathing, you need to challenge yourself and grow!