My YearCompass

One of my favorite things to do the first couple weeks of January is my YearCompass. You can find it HERE from the YearCompass Team - it's completely FREE (printable or pdf-fillable) and it's one of the best things I do for myself every January!

It's a review of the past year, good and bad, and then planning for the next year. It covers everything - personal, business, friends, health, goals, big events, things I want to remember, things I want to let go... It is the bomb for gaining clarity on what my last year went like and how I want the next year to go.

I love to put this in my calendar and think about how good it's going to feel to get all these thoughts out of my head and onto paper. I block out four hours in my calendar (some years I finish in 1 or 2 hours, but sometimes I really get thinking deep and the ideas for the next year start flowing and I take it to the full four hours).

Here's how the process looks for me:

PHASE 1

• I make sure I will in a space where I feel very comfortable and won't be disturbed. (This year I'm going to type it on my computer, but in past years, I've printed it and filled it out by hand.) I prefer someplace very organized and uncluttered, with easy snacks and beverages available to me. Some years I've done it in a coffee shop, some years I've done it at my office, and some years I've done it at my kitchen table (though I had to make sure everyone, including the dog, was out of the house for that one).

• I make sure I have my calendar (I'll be referencing it during the reflection), paper, pen, computer and a highlighter.

• If I'm in a public place, I'll usually wear headphones. Otherwise I like to have something on the speakers that is low-key and not disruptive.

• I like to take a short break between the reflections on last year and the dreams for the next year. I'll usually go for a short walk or do some stretching. Maybe do some breathwork for a couple minutes. Have a snack and refresh my beverage. Just enough time to give my brain a quick break and to help me have a smoother transition from thinking about the past to thinking about the future.

• When I'm done with the entire YearCompass, I like to block out a time (usually 1-2 hours) on my calendar for sometime WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS to revisit my plans for the new year. I'm usually feeling super motivated about the new year after this process and it's the perfect time to make the commitment to follow-up on my goals.

PHASE 2

• During that next session I've blocked out on my calendar, I like to begin by re-reading what I've outlined for the new year. It jazzes me back up and makes me really want to MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!

• I start to write down some SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, Timely) based on what I want to achieve in the new year. Some are quick and easy (like texting three friends to make lunch dates in the first quarter of the new year) and some end up being projects that need their own set of SMART goals (like writing a book).

• I make sure to transfer those goals to whatever system I'm using at the time as my to-do list/calendar. (I'll share my current to-do and project App in a future blog post).

• I block out one hour a month on my calendar that will be spent on reviewing my progress.

PHASE 3

• Commit to spending that one hour each month to reviewing my goals for the year.

• During those one hour sessions, I pull out my completed YearCompass for a super-quick review to refresh my memory about how kick-a$$ this year can be and motivate me to keep working!

• And then I keep working on my goals - crossing them off as completed, revising as needed, adding new ones, creating projects for deep dives, whatever is needed to MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!

• Hopefully I've been making progress on my goals all the time, but if I've slipped off the wagon or if something else has taken priority, these quick reviews help to remind me what is important in the long term!

And then when January rolls around, I'm ready to do it all again!

I'd love to hear if you do an annual review and/or goal setting for the new year. What format do you use? How do you keep track and follow-up? Let me know all your secrets for making the new year your best year yet!!!