Here we are – at the end of another trip around the sun. It’s time to make a plan for how you will Make 2023 Your Best Year Yet!
2022 has come to a close and the beginning of a new year is it’s a natural pausing point for reflection and planning. I started this practice of new year goal setting a few years ago and every time I do it, I adjust it slightly as I have learned more efficient and enjoyable ways to do it. Today I want to take you behind the scenes and show you my 4 Step formula that you can use to Make 2023 Your Best Year Yet!
Step One: Reflect on 2022
Before we can map out where we want to go in 2023, it’s important that we take the time to reflect on all that happened in 2022. Whether it was a year of joy and ease or it was a more challenging one – there are nuggets of wisdom and important lessons to be learned by looking back and reflecting.
Review your 2022 Goals
If you set goals at the beginning of last year, take some time to look back on them now. Which goals did you accomplish? Did you take time to celebrate your accomplishments when they happened? Where were the gaps or missed opportunities to reach your goals? Can you identify why some of your goals weren’t met and what you would change this year?
Do a Calendar Audit
I use my Google Calendar – which I update religiously to look back over the past 12 months and get an extremely accurate depiction of how I spent my time. If you haven’t done this in the past, no worries – you can use your planner or memories to do the same thing. Maybe 2023 is the year you track your time a little more so next year you will be able to do a full audit.
Recount the Years Highs & Lows
The trips, the parties, the career accomplishments, the goal achievements. These usually stick out in our minds too as they are often accompanied by strong emotions. For instance, I had a really hard June & July. Our beloved dog Roi passed away suddenly and between the emotional angst I felt, I was also really struggling with burnout in my role at work. On the other end, I had a fantastic September & October as I was the bridesmaid in my sister’s wedding, traveled to Orlando, California, & Banff, started a new job, and spoke at the ATRA annual Symposium. It’s normal to have highs and lows throughout the year, but I find this helpful to note as it keeps all of life’s challenges in perspective and reminds you to enjoy the mountain peaks.
Step Two: Subtract – Subtract – Subtract
So often we think the answer is more. More habits, more things, more whatever will help me get to where I want to go. Although this may be your natural inclination, if you follow the 80/20 principle – this is not the case! Before jumping into setting your goals for 2023, take some time to identify what you can remove from your life that may be halting your progress. Could it be an unhealthy coping mechanism? Is it too much time to scroll through social media? Is it meeting the needs of others before your own? Before we can set new goals for 2023 – start by subtracting. A few things I am subtracting from my life this year include:
- Comparison – Comparing myself to others, especially on social media is an epic time and energy suck I will be subtracting from my life this year.
- Rigid Structure – Time Blocking, just doesn’t work for me. I need to be a little bit more loosy-goosy with my time to feel that spontaneity I know I crave.
- Negative Self-Talk – Noticing my ANTS or automatic negative thoughts is a DBT skill I have used religiously in my own life. But it’s a regular practice of rewiring neuropathways that I want to focus on this year by removing the incessant negative self-talk.
Step Three: Identify Values & Set Goals
We are growing and changing every year. We are not the same people we were last week, let alone an entire year ago. It’s important the align your new vision for the upcoming year with your current values. Start by identifying your top 3-5 values. I recommend using Brene Browns List of Values. Once you have your values selected, it’s time to pick a few goals you want to focus on this year. Listen, there are so many different goal-setting formulas out there and I have tried them all! What I tend to do now, is set goals in a way that just feels right for me. I am not a rigidly-structured person, so I tend to rebel again SMART goals. Instead, I like to set goals that make me feel expensive and excited to work towards them. You can also check out my post about compassionate goal setting to learn a little more.
Step Four: Create the 2023 Vision
This is the fun part! We get to take our values and goals going into 2023 and make a visual representation of them!
Start with a Word
Your word of the year is a theme you want to carry with you for the next 12 months. For instance, my word for 2022 was Align. I wanted to re-align my priorities with what matters most to me. The word showed up again and again and thankfully, it helped me during some pretty low points. It took me a while to choose my word for 2023, but I am happy to share that it is – Focus. It’s twofold. First of all, I want to fight my natural inclination on being too future-oriented (to a fault) and focus on what is right in front of me at the moment. Secondly, I want to simplify my life to amplify it!
Find Photos & Quotes
Now that you have your word and your goals, you can head over to Pinterest or free image sites like Unsplash to start a collection of photos and quotes. I tend to take a different approach to this every year, but what I would say is important is to ensure the visual makes you feel motivated. If you pick a visual that you have no attachment to or actually kinds feel discouraged by because your reality is so different than the one in the photo – it’s probably not going to be very motivating. Most importantly, take your time with this and have fun!
Make a Collage
Once you have your photos and quotes ready to go, head over to Canva where you can create a free account and start your vision board! It may take time and practice to edit it in a way that feels good to you – so look at this as if it’s a creative project. Also if you search the templates there are many of the 2023 vision board ideas you can use.
Put it Where You’ll See it!
I like to use my Vision board on my computer desktop as well as in the Notion dashboard so I can see it daily, especially when I’m organizing my life. I also have a Pinterest widget on my home phone screen with my Pinterest vision board. You may decide to print it off and hang it in your bedroom or office where you can see it. Whatever you do, don’t let it hide alone on your Canva page without ever seeing the light of day – you didn’t work this hard for nothing!
Here is my incredibly motivating 2023 Vision Board
I’d love to know what part of this blog post has been most helpful.
Let me know in the comments below!