Do You Know Where You're Going To?

At the turn of the year, many of us pause and look back.

What worked?What didn’t?What are we proud of?

What do we quietly wish had gone differently?

Recently, I was talking with a CEO who shared a ritual they’d done around the Winter Solstice. They wrote down what they didn’t want to carry into the new year: habits, patterns, and weight they were ready to leave behind. Then they identified twelve wishes or intentions for the year ahead and burned one each day until New Year’s Day.

I spoke to another leader who shared they were making a long list of New Year’s resolutions, they chose one behavior or habit to focus on each quarter. By the end of the year, they wouldn’t be overwhelmed, they’d have four integrated changes shaping how they lived and led.

I loved these approaches.

Some people choose a word of the year.

Others set resolutions or create vision boards.

There’s no single right way. What matters is honest reflection and intentional follow-through.

Our lives don’t change based on what we want. They change based on what we do, consistently.

As we move into the new year, as Self-Aware leaders, here are three intentional questions to consider in your reflections:

1. What Do You Want?

Not what sounds impressive. Not what you think you should want. What do you actually want this year? More ease? More courage? More financial freedom? More presence with the people you love? More impact? More peace? Clarity begins when we name the want without shrinking it or justifying it.If we’re vague about what we want, we end up busy, but not fulfilled.

2. Why Does It Matter?

Is this want connected to your values?Will it create meaningful impact for you or for others?Does it move you closer to the person you want to become? Wants rooted in alignment energize us.Wants rooted in avoidance may feel urgent, but they rarely last. Your why determines what happens when motivation fades, and unfortunately, and it always does. Your “why” will continue to propel you long after your motivation wanes.

3. What Will It Take to Get There?

This is where reflection turns into responsibility. If things aren’t where you want them to be, ask:What would need to change, behaviorally, for that to be different? What are the specific and concrete steps needed to make this change a reality? Here’s one more thought to consider: I recently heard a podcast with Chris Williamson where he asked, “Imagine your life is a movie. What would the people watching it be screaming at the screen about your life?” Leave the unhealthy relationship.Spend less time on technology and more time with people you love. Move your body. Spend less money. Take the risk. Trust yourself.

Deep down, most of us already know what needs to shift. The real question is whether we’re willing to act on what we know.

My hope is that a this turn of the calendar year, we take a moment to reflect on our successes from this past year and give thought to what we are working towards. Empower yourself to seize the moment to make the most of your daily decisions to create the life you deserve! I believe in you! 💕

Self-Reflection

• What do I want and why does it matter to me?

• What is one habit I could commit to this quarter?

• If nothing changed this year, how would I feel looking back next December?

  
  

The new year doesn’t require a new version of you. It asks for a more honest, intentional one.

You matter. And the choices you make daily are shaping the life you’re living.