"If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster." Stephen R. Covey
"If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster."
Our motivation behind a goal or action can impact on the level of satisfaction we get from completing it, and the likelihood that we’ll persist when faced with difficulty.2,3 This is why it is important to set goals that are meaningful and that reflect our values, so that we give ourselves the greatest chance of success.
In this activity, we start the process of setting meaningful goals by first reflecting on the past year. This helps us see what we’re capable of achieving over a longer time period, celebrate the progress we have already made, and use that momentum to think about what we can build on in the next year.
Take some time out to reflect on the past year and gain some perspective on what’s happened and how you’ve progressed.
Hint: Feedback from your Johari window might be useful here. (If you haven’t done your Johari window yet, you can find it in the Self Awareness module).
Here are some questions to get you started – choose at least 2 questions and answer them below.
In the past year...
These questions were adapted from Allen1 and Oxenreider 4.
Select questions from the list above
"Celebrate any progress. Don't wait to get perfect." Ann McGee Cooper
"Celebrate any progress. Don't wait to get perfect."
Now that you’ve thought about the past year, remember to reward yourself for all the progress you’ve made! Why not re-enforce your hard work with something that is an investment in your future progress, like a good journal, or some new running shoes, or even a massage.
What will you do to reward yourself for the past year?
Having thought about the past year, it’s now time to look forward. Let’s think about setting some intentions for where you’d like to be in a years’ time. As you think about the year ahead, here are some questions you might find useful.
Choose at least 2 questions to get you started, and then answer them below.
7. What’s one thing you’d like to improve the most about each of these areas of your life:
In the next activity we will explore how to make some of your goals into smaller and more concrete goals.
R References
1 Allen, David. (2009). Completing and Remembering 2009. Retrieved from http://gettingthingsdone.com/newsletters/archive/1209b.html.
2 Lyubomirsky, Sonja. (2008). The How of Happiness: A scientific approach to getting the life you want. New York: Penguin Press.
3 McGonigal, Jane. (2011). Reality is Broken: Why games make us better and how they change the world. London: Penguin Press.
4 Oxenreider, Tsh. (2013). 20 questions for a new year’s eve reflection. Retrieved from http://theartofsimple.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/newyearsevereflectionqs.pdf.