*Updated: Previously- 5 Questions You Should Answer Before 2020
We have a lot of questions to answer about how we want our 2020 to look. It’s time to get intentional. Without intentionality, we run the risk of living our lives happily all year, just to reveal at the end of the year that we weren’t happy at all.
I’m sick of that narrative. Let’s make every year our year. Of course, there will be ups and downs but when the year concludes, I want to see more people posting about being enlightened and grateful for the passing year.
How do we get to this point?
We get there by being proactive about how we want the next year to be. This is done through planning and asking yourself direct questions. Not only should you be asking yourself questions, but you should also be following through by answering those questions.
If you want 2020 to be your year, you should answer these 5 questions:
1. What habits/mindsets have contributed to my greatest downfalls in 2019?
Most of our downfalls are results of our habits and mindsets. That’s why so many people make it to the end of each year and feel as if the entire year was a fail. It may not be the years that are failing you; it may be your habits and mindsets.
If your goal was to lose weight in 2019 but you never exercised consistently or changed your diet, guess what? Chances are you are ending 2019 with the extra pounds that you swore would be gone by summer.
This may be one of many promises to yourself that you did not keep. So, when the end of the year rolls around, once you add up all your broken promises to yourself it may equal an unsuccessful year.
Don’t keep perpetuating the broken cycle of promises to yourself.
In 2020, let’s make sure you keep every promise. Start by assessing the habits and mindsets that keep throwing you off track.
What routines are you clinging to that are keeping you away from your goals? What beliefs are you holding on to that are hindering your growth? When you set out to answer these questions, try reflecting on how your days are structured.
What does your morning routine look like? What does your daily routine look like? How do you spend your leisure time? How are you speaking to yourself? Do you believe in yourself? Are you optimistic or pessimistic?
Once you have identified some habits and mindsets, think about all the things you wanted to accomplish in 2019? Of those things, list them under the habits or mindsets that may have stopped you from achieving your goals.
For instance, if your goal was to start a business but you experienced a lot of negative self-talk or binge-watched tv shows, attach your unachieved goal to the appropriate habit or mindset.
The idea is for you to trace your unmet goals back to the habits or mindsets you need to change.
2. What do I want to accomplish in 2020?
To have a great year, we must know exactly what we want out of the coming year. What exactly do you want to accomplish? If you do not have a plan for what you want in 2020, you may end up going with the flow. When you flow with the year, that means that you take on whatever life throws your way. The problem with this is that you do not have control.
When you do not take control, you expose yourself to being controlled. Meaning that you will answer whenever someone calls. Your schedule will always be open, and unpredictable situations will constantly flow into your life.
The thought of that being a reality is stressful. In addition to the stress, it’s a fast track toward repeating the same undesirable year.
The year you desire is attached to your answer to this question: What do I want to accomplish in 2020?
Your answer to this question will give you purpose. Through purpose, you will gain control. With control, you are no longer able to go with the flow. Your schedule is not open all the time, you now have deadlines to meet. You are aware of which direction your days are flowing, and how you must direct them if they stray off course.
Control the flow of your 2020. Define your purpose.
Click here: You got this, Sis! How to Fearlessly Achieve Your Goals
3. What habits/mindsets do I want to develop in 2020 that will contribute to my greatest triumphs?
Now that you have identified habits and mindsets of 2019 and your goals for 2020, it’s time for a change. Change comes from developing new habits and mindsets. When we set out to achieve goals, oftentimes those goals require a different version of ourselves.
Problems occur when we think that we can maintain who we are while achieving who we aspire to be. The truth is you have to develop also. This requires that you change your habits and mindsets because if you don’t your years will continue to end the same.
Since you have clarity about your goals for 2020, what habits/mindsets do you need to develop to make your goals a reality?
Do you need to wake up earlier? Do you need to plan your week on Sunday’s? Do you need to recite daily affirmations? Do you need to post positive notes around your home?
Whatever habits/mindsets that you need/want to develop, attach those to the goals you want to accomplish. Like before, the idea is that you create a connection between your goals and your habits/mindsets. Through these connections, the path toward achieving your goals becomes clearer.
4. How often will I check to see if I am on track to achieve my goals?
Now that you have purpose, you have a plan to continue to move forward. However, do not get so buried in the process of moving forward that you neglect to assess your progress.
Burying yourself in the plan, while neglecting to track your progress could produce poor results. Sometimes, no results at all. Focus without reflection could lead to a lot of unnecessary efforts.
For instance, your goal may be to write a book. Your plan may be to write every morning from 6 am to 8 am. As a month of sticking to the plan goes by, you may realize that you have just been writing aimlessly. None of your topics match, there’s no plot, and you still feel like it’s day one.
When you schedule times to check your progress, you maximize your productivity toward your goal. The main point is to be productive.
Tracking your progress will ensure that you are productive. You will be knowledgeable of the things you need to change, add or keep. You will save yourself time before moving in the wrong direction. Most importantly, you will increase your chances of staying motivated and intentional about your goals.
5. What will my self-care routine look like in 2020?
With plans, new habits/mindsets, and reflection periods, we expose ourselves to predictability. Sometimes, when things are predictable, we free our minds, we become happier, and finally, feel that we are in control of our lives. Even with all this control and happiness, trials will occur.
These trials may bring mental, physical, and emotional pain in 2020. One mindset that we should all embrace is that “I can endure and overcome whatever comes my way.” Some people get stuck in the mindset that a good year is a year without trials. But trials are inevitable.
Instead of wishing trials away, be prepared to endure and overcome them. One way you can prepare yourself to endure and overcome trials is through intentional self-care.
Self-care is taking care of yourself in a way that keeps you energized to continue toward your goals no matter what. When we do not have a proper self-care routine, we risk becoming too defeated to carry on.
What will your self-care routine look like in 2020? Will you go to the gym when you are stressed? Will you go out with friends when work is overwhelming? Will you take a break from social media? Will you do morning meditation?
Self-care is a unique process, so do what’s best for you. Whatever routine you decide, make sure it is revitalizing you to fight another day toward your goals.
To conclude, you have some questions to answer if you plan for 2020 to be your year. Although this list is not exhaustive, this is a good start for being intentional about how you want your 2020 to look. Make sure you are clear about which habits/mindsets caused your biggest downfalls in 2019. Be clear about what you want to accomplish in 2020. Also, make sure you are clear about the new habits/mindsets you need to develop to reach your goals. Ensure that you have a plan to check your progress frequently. And remember to establish a proper self-care routine. Once you have answers, 2020 will be your year for sure.
