I’m always so excited for the fresh start of the new year – new adventures, new memories & renewed commitments to living OUR best lives. But first, before the new year kicks off, I like to take a weekend day and do a year in review and set up my planner, Money Journal & Fitness Journal for the new year. I like to review my previous year month by month – key events, trips, celebrations, lessons, challenges etc. We also do this from a financial and business perspective as well – income/expenses/house projects/charitable contributions, planner sales, social media engagement, screen time (oh my), etc.
I like to look at what went well and what didn’t. What were some of the key lessons learned – for me they were – health is everything; financial security is a must and bigger isn’t always better.
As a family we like to fill out our Top 10 of the Year highlights (available as a free download here). It’s so important to pause, recognize & celebrate your accomplishments the previous year before moving onto the next. What are you most proud of? What were some of your favorite moments or memories? What results did you achieve?
Once we’ve reviewed achievements, lessons, etc. we can look towards the new year. What do you want to do differently this coming year? We can begin to plan out our year from one of peace and acknowledgement. We’ve got just one life – ask yourself – are you spending it on what matters most? This is the key question that I ask myself in my end of the year review as I begin setting the right goals for the upcoming year.
I then take some time to work on my annual vision board in my Commit30 Planner – I love doing this each year! Having a visual representation of what matters most to me in the front cover of my planner helps me keep my focus where it needs to be.
Then I begin some annual planning by blocking out time in my planner for school breaks, vacations, special events, work trips and known work or personal deadlines. You can see where there are gaps or where there are super full months so you can plan ahead. Here are some more tips on setting up your planner for the new year.
