As we head into a new year, it’s only natural to want to start with a clean slate. This is the time we create new goals, put together a vision board, make big changes, or sign up for a life coaching program!
But, for some of us, it’s about tapping into all our experiences, learning from their lessons, and carrying them forward to the next year to continue our path of growth and development. This quote says it all:
“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us” – Hal Borland
Based on your previous year’s experiences, you can build up what is meaningful for you while discarding what no longer belongs to you, physically, mentally, or emotionally. Setting the right goal is essential for direction and focus and you can do this by asking yourself these seven insightful questions.
7 Insightful Questions to Kickstart Your Year in 2024
1. What is Meaningful to You?
If you’ve been aware of the experiences and lessons learned from the past year, you’ll know what gives your life meaning. It could be the realization that yoga gives you respite from your anxiety or that meditation opens up your self-awareness.
I discovered that if I don’t start my day with an early morning ritual that includes a 30-minute walk outdoors, I will struggle to maintain a sense of calmness and balance. I also know that spending time and having meaningful conversations with my partner at the end of each day is vital for our relationship.
Nurturing what is meaningful for you and carrying it through to the new year helps to keep you aligned with your personal core values and to live a life that’s true to YOU.
2. What is Your Most Critical Need?
Last year my most critical need was simplifying my life – financially, mentally and emotionally. This year, my most critical need is to live that simple life with as much peace and joy as possible. Understanding your most basic human needs will help you determine what is missing from your life.
Every person needs to feel:
Safe: This includes certainty around financial needs, relationships, food and shelter.
Variety: Too much certainty leads to boredom and having a healthy curiosity for life ensures you get enough variety to fulfill your need for stimulation and adventure.
A sense of belonging: Love and connection is an essential need but avoid falling into the trap of codependency.
A sense of significance: Having a healthy opinion of WHO you are allows you to feel content and at ease with your life.
When these critical needs aren’t met in a healthy way, your life becomes unmanageable. Deciding what is your most critical need this year and finding healthy ways to meet it ensures you succeed in achieving your goals and dreams.
3. How Would You Like to Feel This Year?
Was last year stressful, leaving you feeling exhausted, angry or resentful with your lot in life? Or, did you have an exciting year that took you on many adventures or you met the love of your life? How did that make you feel?
Knowing how you would like to feel this year makes it easier to set a goal that encourages better thought processes and emotional stability. If you want to feel more joy, success, love or excitement, make a list of all the things that will bring you these feelings on a daily basis.
Practicing gratitude brings me to the present moment and allows me to feel happy and carefree. Spending quiet time with our rescue dog lets me feel calm while coaching clients energises and inspires me. Knowing that I want to continue experiencing these feelings ensures I include these actions in my goal for 2024.
4. What Are Your 3 Top Priorities This Year?
Listing your top three priorities for the year empowers you to focus on what really matters to you. You can do this by rating the following eight areas and choosing which ones need attention in 2024:
Mental and Emotional health
Physical health
Romantic relationships
Social and family relationships
Career
Money
Personal development
Spiritual connection
Knowing your priorities going forward allows you to write a meaningful goal.
5. What Are Your Top 3 Goals?
Use your top three priorities to help you identify what your goals should be for the year. If you’ve identified that you want more spiritual connection, write a goal that describes how you’re going to achieve this. Apply the same method with any of the abovementioned areas but keep it to three goals so you don’t create overwhelm!
Writing your goals in the present tense makes it easier to manifest what you want to achieve. I like to write all three goals in one big goal which I read every day as part of my early morning ritual. I also include “positive feeling words” such as super-proud, confidence, excited, successful and love to increase the vibration of my goal.
Writing an inspiring goal that’s full of emotion is more likely to bring you good results than one that’s bland and boring every time you read it!
6. What 3 Steps Will You Take to Activate Your Goal?
Now that you’ve written your goals, you need to take action! Consider three action steps for each of your goals that will get you moving forward NOW. But, you also need to maintain action and you can do this by writing weekly action steps to keep the momentum going. I do this every Sunday evening for the week ahead.
Avoid trying to achieve your goals overnight – this will lead to disappointment and a sense of failure. Rather focus on small and manageable action steps that take you closer to your ultimate goal. When writing down action steps, consider the following questions:
What will prevent me from completing these action steps?
How can I deal with these things in advance?
By reflecting on these questions, you are creating self-awareness while finding solutions to problems that could hold you back from achieving your goals.
7. What is 1 New Thing You Can Learn or Explore Every Month?
Learning and exploring new things is a wonderful way of meeting your basic human needs. it allows you to expand your personal growth and development while creating new perspectives and developing an open mindset.
Make a list of 12 new things you would like to learn or explore this year and do one of them every month. When picking what you want to do make sure they:
Align with your core values
Contribute to your goals
Expand your consciousness
It feels good, is good for you and others while serving the greater good
Learning and exploring new things grows your confidence and self-esteem, is essential for self-love and self-care and allows you to become a better version of yourself. You can do this by watching or listening to vlogs, podcasts, inspirational talks or reading a new self-empowerment book or attending a workshop on a topic that interests you.
I love watching Beyond AtoB travel vlogs on YouTube as they take me to countries I've never been to. I discover new cultures, traditional (and delicious-looking!) dishes, the fascinating history of the different areas, and other inspiring stories of these far-away places. My virtual experiences teach me so much!
Final Thoughts
Make this year count by expanding on your experiences and life lessons. Use these insightful questions to help you reflect on what is meaningful for you while ensuring you meet your most critical needs in 2024. Set a goal that matches your priorities and take relevant action by taking steps every day.
Stepping out of your comfort zone and challenging yourself to discover new things expands your mindset. With positive growth you can contribute to others as well – isn’t that your ultimate aim in life? Contact me today if you need support in setting new goals and maintaining action – hiring a life coach could be the best decision you ever make.
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