The One Thing I Do at the Beginning of Each Year

The One Thing I Do at the Beginning of Each Year

By: Tim Elmore

Last week, I posted a ritual I perform at the end of each year. A second ritual I do is a natural follow-up. It enables me to enter a new year on purpose.  After I invest a morning reviewing the previous year, I spend the second half of the day previewing the new year. I think, write, and reflect as I open a new chapter of my life.

I don’t simply create a list of goals, although some of the items I will list below feel a lot like goals. I like to view it as an action list and a standard list. What are the actions I plan to take and what are the standards I plan to live by over the next year?

Here are the issues I address to create the goals, actions, and standards for a new year:

1. What are my greatest dreams for 2022? What projects will these dreams require of me? What daily actions must I engage in to fulfill them?

2. What standards will I live by throughout the next year?

1. • Health Standards
   • Family Standards
   • Financial Standards
   • Friendship Standards
   • Personal/Spiritual Standards

3. In what areas of my life do I most want to grow in 2022?

4. What books will I read this next year to achieve these growth goals?

5. What mentors will I seek out to achieve these growth goals?

6. What magazines will I scan and file to achieve these growth goals?

7. What events will I attend to achieve these growth goals?

8. To what podcasts (audio recordings) will I listen to help me grow?

9. What will I do Monday through Friday to be intentional about my growth?

I want to be better in January of 2022 than I was in January of 2021. To do this, I have found that my issue is not prioritizing my schedule but rather scheduling my priorities.  This means I must put into my calendar those things I say are the most important habits and attitudes I can embrace.

Our character is simply made up of the habits and attitudes we possess daily. Especially in the aftermath of a pandemic, where a new normal has been established, it is wise to lay the tracks that enable us to stay on course in our lives. I hope this is helpful.