Worksheet: Reflecting on the Past to Set Intentional Goals for the Future

by Marielle Reussink

Welcome to a new year! It’s safe to say many of us were happy to put the year behind us, and with a fresh start upon us, it’s time to start making plans for what lies ahead. Let’s dive in!

At the beginning of every year, I like to set concrete goals for myself and for my business. I’ve used the same goal setting framework for the past five years to create goals and stick with them, but before I do that this year, I’m taking some time to reflect and collect my thoughts.

I’ll often use mind mapping to explore my thoughts and ideas, which can be a really nice way to pull insights from your own mind. This year, I’m putting more structure around this process to put myself in the mindset to create meaningful goals.

One thing that stands out to me from my experience over the past year is that, while we all face challenges, it’s what you do about them that makes all the difference. Success isn’t about dodging hurdles or waiting for things to blow over. It’s about accepting that things can be hard – seemingly impossible even – and taking action to change them.

With this in mind, I’ve created a worksheet to help identify what’s working and what’s not, so that you can tackle your challenges head on. If you want to set intentional goals for the new year, I encourage you to join me in using the worksheet below to reflect on where you’ve come from, and where you want to go.

Think of it less as a goal setting exercise, and more as a guided brainstorm to set the tone before diving into the nitty gritty.

Once you’ve completed this worksheet, I hope you’ll feel inspired to dive into the year with a new perspective and motivation to do great things. The next step is to write down some goals that you can begin actively working toward.

Best of luck and I hope you have a successful start!