“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” Socrates.

Can you believe that we are now in December and the final month of 2018? This year seems to have flown by. People often say that the older you get, time appears to go past more quickly! In my case, this old adage appears to be true.

December can be a very busy month, with increased social activity, preparing for the Christmas festivities and seeking to complete goals and projects that we have set for the year. Therefore it’s very easy to overlook spending time to pause and reflect on the past year and review our progress and growth.

The end of the year provides a great opportunity to celebrate our successes, achievements and things to be grateful for. Investing our precious time in this way helps to provide some positive energy to carry into the New Year. This reflection time is a great way to wrap up the current year before turning some attention to creating some plans and goals for the year ahead.

Review of 2018

Over the next few weeks, prior to the start of 2019, I recommend that you get yourself a notebook and dedicate some time to reflect on 2018. I suggest you start by recording your thoughts on the following questions:

  • What has been great about 2018?
  • What lessons have you learned this year?
  • What have any challenges you’ve had in 2018 taught you?
  • What are you grateful for in life?
  • What has brought you the most happiness?
  • What do you need to let go of?

Planning for a First Class 2019

Once you have completed the reflection, you can turn your attention to thinking about what you would like to accomplish and experience in the New Year. Completing the reflection will provide some clarity and great insights to use in this process. Here are some possible questions for you to use to do this:

  • How would you like 2019 to be different?
  • What would you like to celebrate at the end of next year?
  • What are your main personal and professional goals for 2019?
  • What are your financial goals for 2019?
  • What steps do you need to take to improve/maintain your health and fitness?
  • What can you do to improve your relationships?
  • What steps can you take to increase your happiness?
  • What plans do you have to grow, develop and learn?

I hope that you find the process and questions useful and that it helps you to experience a great 2019.

A final footnote before I sign off. In the process of writing this week’s blog there was a power cut when I was about half way through writing it. It provided a lesson and insight for me as I begin to contemplate what I need to do differently in the future.

Sadly, I hadn’t saved the document as I was producing it. I always wait until I have finished it before doing so. I therefore had to start again. I will save the document part way through the writing process in the future!

This minor incident proves that we never stop learning and that we can always look at ways of changing our approach to tasks to develop our performance and save ourselves time.

It is ironic that painful lessons provide us with motivation and resolve to change things that we may have been tolerating for a long time. They also help us to look at steps we can take to stop us experiencing these challenges in the future.

Any difficulty, set-backs or challenges we encounter in life always provide us with lessons and insights. They enable us to grow and develop if we are open to receiving the wisdom and then commit to applying it in an effective and positive way.

This week, why not take a few moments to consider when and how you will spend some time reflecting on 2018 and planning for a first class 2019.

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk