It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca
A new year is a unique opportunity to reach greater, undiscovered levels of your life.
Most of us find this self-renewal challenge difficult because we have repeatedly broken our new year promises. But such is life; we must keep trying to rejuvenate ourselves whenever there is another chance.
If you still dream big, here are the fundamental things you must do to return to the way of greatness by the end of 2023.
1. Planning
A written goal plan is your most critical tool to get the most out of the year. Start by envisioning what you want to achieve within the year. Through dedicated reflection, go over your life to understand the basics of change. Identify what new things need to be done and what you must stop doing from now on. With this understanding, you can draw a simple list of things to do and the real-time to get them done.
2. Balancing
Every human life is divided into categories that must be balanced to make it successful and happy. These vary from person to person and can include wellness, career, business, family, relationships, wealth, recreation and more. Our lives are primarily miserable because we focus on a few areas of interest and neglect others that are equally important. When drawing your list of things to achieve, pay attention to balancing the different elements of your life. You can learn how to build this balance here.
3. Tracking
Turning aspirations into actions requires a management system, no matter how basic. A tracking system and routine are vital in turning a plan into reality by knowing when we are achieving our objectives and not. Dedicate every other day moments throughout the year to review your performance and replan for the days ahead. By creating a simple, personal performance management system, you will own your goals, hold yourself more accountable, and attain most of what you aspired for.
4. Learning
Learning is simply the ability to deepen understanding from everyday life experiences and absorb new information from other sources. So, one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is learning daily from occurrences of your life and that of others. Create intentional moments of reflection at the beginning or end of the day. Augment it with reading and listening to new content to gain new knowledge and help you acquire new skills. If you start learning, you start growing and heading to great places.
5. Refining
Positive change and growth are slow, patient and minuscule processes. Run your own race by avoiding comparison or competition or being drawn to instant results. Give yourself time, and be patient and kind to yourself. Understand the 1% rule for consistent, minor changes that return massive results over time. One step at a time, build the skills, the system and the discipline to make you achieve things you never imagined.
Besides being thankful for the opportunity to live, aspire and commit to making 2023 the greatest of all!