December tends to be a hectic time for most of us and before we know it January is upon us. Your thoughts may then turn to the goals you’re going to set yourself during next year. As a coach I work with people to set goals that work for them and encourage them on the route to achieving them. I’ve found that many people want to set goals in January and this is great, but they often forget to review what they’ve achieved previously.

December is a great time to reflect on your achievements during the past year, both personally and professionally. I really encourage you to take some time to write this down. Think back to January 1st and ask yourself, “How far have I come this year?” What have I achieved?”, “How have I improved myself?” and “What were my strengths?”

Remember to include achievements which relate to you as a person. Perhaps you’ve become more relaxed or more focused. The feeling of success which derives from reviewing the past year’s achievements can be a wonderful inspiration for what you can strive for during the next year. In the quest to achieve more, we often forget how far we’ve come. This continuous driving forward can leave us feeling that there’s something missing in our success. I challenge you to harness and use your strengths fully and be ready to set goals in January. What will it take for you to do this?