A new year, a new month, a new week sometimes is the best time to reflect on the time that has past and to plan for the future.
I used to be one of those people who will write down my goals, hopes and dreams for the new year and then a few weekly later completely forget what I had put down as the demands of work and family pulled me in all directions. Then in 2024, my partner forwarded to me the link to the YEAR COMPASS – he said I’ll love it ‘cos I’m a fan of reflecting and I love writing things down – he forgot to mention that I have tons of notebooks (I carry one everywhere I go) and a pencil case filled with colourful pens (yes I love colour in everything around me).
I clicked on the link and boy was I pleasantly surprised! I decided to split the task over two days – day 1 was for reflection on the year that was; day 2 was for planning for the year ahead. What an emotional experience that was! I thoroughly loved it and using my colourful pens I was able to actually have fun, have clarity on what 2024 was like for me and what I wanted 2025 to be like for me. I’ve never looked back, yesterday I completed my 2026 planning and I feel ready to start my year. the link to the YEAR COMPASS booklet https://yearcompass.com try it out and share how you felt during the process and afterwards
The next thing I did was to listen to the book – The 12 week year by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington. Unlike prior years where I’ll detail what I wanted to achieve for the entire year, this book helped me to breakdown my goals into 12-weeks blocks (that translates into 4 blocks a year!). That way I could easily track my weekly progress and helped me managed my goals seamlessly. I use the 12 week blocks for both my personal and business goals. I simply ask myself – What goals do I have for this 12-week-block? What are the tools that I’ll use to track the progress on my goals? What support do I need to achieve these goals? Why are these goals important to me? What do these goals do for my self-esteem or give me?
By answering these questions, I’m able to create and put systems in place to better assist me in reaching these goals. The method works! It breaks big goals into small manageable goals that continuously “pour into my cup” and keeps me “emotionally nourished” throughout the year.
I’m a sucker for routine and these two tools have greatly helped me feel in charge of my life. I hope they’ll be helpful to you as well.
Do try them out and let me know your thoughts.
Warm hug: Mandisa
