Making your new year's resolutions ...

As another year comes to a close, it's time to reflect on the past and make plans for the future. But let's be honest - how often do our New Year's resolutions fizzle out before the end of January? If you're tired of setting goals that never seem to stick, it might be time to try a different approach.

I've been using a multi-faceted lens to set and achieve my New Year's resolutions for the past few years, and it has made all the difference. I used to look at my own version of the "wheel of life ", but as I came across Dickie Bush ?? 's Twitter post on how he organizes his life, it inspired me to adjust my template even further.

By focusing on each of these areas, I aim to create well-rounded and balanced goals. And by taking a holistic approach, I hope it will be easier to stay motivated and on track. In this blog post, I want to share my insights and offer some suggestions on how you can evaluate the different areas of your life. With a more strategic and targeted approach, I hope, you can set yourself up for a successful and fulfilling year in the coming year and beyond.

Start by breaking down the different areas of your life into sub-categories...

Breaking down the different areas of life into sub-categories helps to be more specific and intentional in the goal-setting. For example, within the Health category, you might have sub-categories such as physical fitness, mental health, and spiritual health. Be presice, and have descriptions for each of these sub-categories!

The specific sub-categories within each area of your life may vary based on your role and professional background. For example, the Business category might look different for someone in academia compared to someone in a different field. It's important to tailor the sub-categories to your own needs and goals in order to create a plan that is relevant and meaningful for you.

Use the S.L.I.M.E.-Method for every sub-category...

For every sub-category, ask yourself what do you want to start, abandon, improve, continue doing and want to try out. This is niceley illustrated in John Spencer S.L.I.M.E-method:

1. Start: What do I want to begin this year?
2. Let Go: What do I need to abandon this year?
3. Improve: What do I want to take to the next level this year?
4. Maintain: What do I want to continue to do this year?
5. Experiment: What do I want to try out?

You can use this template here:

While reflecting on the past year and making goals for the future, I encourage you to look at McKinsey 's healthy aging framework, which might provide additional inspiration.

I hope this post has given you some ideas on how to use a multi-faceted lens to set and achieve your New Year's resolutions in a way that is tailored to your needs and goals. Remember, the key is to be strategic and targeted in your approach, and to choose goals that are meaningful and relevant to you.

Additionally, I usually look at the "Year Compass " which provides great guiding questions. Moreover, I review my bucket list (things I really want to do in my life). Lastly, I review and slightly revise my life's strategy 1-pager (which includes purpose, vision, mission, and values).

As John Maxwell's Law of the Harvest says 'you reap what you sow. If you want to harvest something in your life, you have to plant it first. Learning, earning, and returning are the three ingredients for successful planting.' So keep these ingredients in mind while planning ahead! By focusing on the different areas of your life and planting the seeds of your goals, I hope you can set yourself up for a successful and fulfilling life.

P.S. you can download the framework as a powerpoint file here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/b1vehed7re75p9a/new%20years%20resolutions.pptx?dl=0