Happy New Year!

The time has come to make New Year’s Resolutions. We all plan on accomplishing a few goals in a year’s time, be it small or large. However, sometimes we forget to reflect on what all we actually did accomplish this year, even if it wasn’t one of your resolutions.  

Every year is a time of growth, even if that growth isn’t what you planned or expected. Maybe this short guide will help you reflect in a healthy way, to realize what you have accomplished and overcome in the past year. Take this, and let it also help you set your new goals for 2019.

1) Last year’s goals. First, let’s look at the progress you’ve made towards a goal you set, big or small. Even if you didn’t reach its conclusion, did you gain proficiency in a fairly new skill? Learn to cook a new dish? Maybe you know a few more words in a different language. That’s more than you did before!

2) Relationships. Did you form any new friendships or dating relationships? Did you get engaged or married? Did you nurture your existing one? Or did you break off any harmful ties? Wherever your relationships took you this year, you grew from it. Breaking off, mending, nurturing, or creating new relationships is not something we usually think of as a goal, but is something that can have one of the largest effects on our happiness. Here’s to healthy relationships in 2019!

3) Plans. Look ahead to the coming year, have you been working on something for a while that will soon pay off? Maybe that’s graduating school and moving to the next season of life. Or working hard at your job so that you can move up. Or even practicing your hobby so that you can buy a new gadget. You have worked hard this year to lay out a map for success!

4) Debt. Maybe you paid off a debt, or even only started to pay off a debt, way to go. Starting somewhere is a huge accomplishment. In 2019, you can make it a goal to trust yourself to keep going, and prepare for the set backs. No matter how slowly, you are still moving forward.

5) Self-care. It’s important, did you take care of yourself this year? Taking care of yourself comes in all shapes and sizes. When you were stressed, did you take a break? Whether you were happy or nervous, did you treat yourself to a nice coffee with an extra splash of the good stuff? Did you help someone else?

6) Nothing? Don’t think you accomplished anything? You took the time to plan something, and that’s the first step to doing anything. The second step is not always immediately after the first step. Sometimes we have substeps. And substeps to the substeps. Life takes you around curves you never could plan for. Are you at least enjoying the ride?

7) We made it. Lastly, you made it through 2018. A lot of changes happened this year, small and large, good and bad. Now, it’s time to celebrate. Cheers to the New year… and the last one!