Congratulations, TRAKstar - you’ve almost made it through the first month of 2018! So let’s take a few minutes today to reflect on the first few weeks of the year. Did you know that a regular practice of reviewing your habits and your progress toward goals can help you see areas of improvement and possibilities for growth in every part of your life? Harvard researchers found that regular reflection increases both your self-efficacy -- your belief that you can actually achieve what you want -- and your actual understanding of your work. Implementing a monthly review is a powerful way to increase your productivity and possibility in both your personal and business arenas.
So let’s dive in!
First, write down the major goals that you worked toward in January. Hopefully, you can remember these -- if you have to look back at your notes, that’s a good sign that you didn’t make much progress and the goal wasn’t top of mind. But no matter -- today isn’t about judgment. Just write down the major areas you focused on in January or intended to focus on before something pulled you away.
Now, write down how you felt about your progress or work this month. Capturing our emotions as they relate to our goals can help us to identify sticking points or weak points, where we need to make a change or infuse some new energy into a process. What felt like the biggest success? The biggest failure?
Now, write down any specific results that you achieved. Review the number of new contacts that you met, or the frequency that you were making reachout calls, or the hours you actually put into the nitty-gritty of the work. This isn’t the place to judge your progress -- just write down the numbers, and then move along.
Make a list of the best and worst things that happened this month -- in your work or your personal life. And jot down anything that you really learned from or enjoyed -- a book, a movie, or a conversation.
Write down any lessons you learned this month -- practices that worked for you, habits that aren’t working, positive or negative trends and changes. Maybe you realized that getting up 30 minutes earlier isn’t a workable practice for your life right now, but when you turn off your TV during your child’s naptime, you can be more productive than you ever guessed. This is one of the most valuable parts of your review, as it shifts your goal assessment from the theoretical to the practical.
Now, sit back and take a break. Maybe pour yourself a cup of tea or a glass of cool water, and look at all of this information. Try to consider it pragmatically. If it’s really causing you stress or self-judgment, call your Coach or your Accountability Partner and ask them to review alongside you.
Where are you making positive headway? Where are you breaking down? And what needs to change?
Now, take a look at the month ahead of you. Fair warning - February is a short month. Sometimes this can sneak up on people, so keep this in mind as you make your plan for the month ahead.
Identify the top things you want to focus on next month. I suggest no more than 3. These may be continuations of your January goals, or you may have different habits or goals that feed into your year-long vision.
As you look toward February, with these focus areas in mind, and the lessons of your January review giving you some context, identify any stumbling blocks or major schedule challenges you’re aware of -- a trip, a family member’s commitment, or the possibility of a late winter illness. If you’ve thought about these ahead of time and how you’ll deal with them if or when they arise, you’ll be one step closer to completing your goals and meeting your targets.
Finally, update your visual cues and other tools you use to keep yourself focused and on track. Now that you’ve got a plan and a renewed vision, one that’s been adjusted and adapted to the reality of your life right now, you’ll be ready to take on February with a new sense of confidence.
Share your successes, lessons, and anything that made your month with the rest of our TRAKstars on Facebook or Instagram! We’d love to hear what’s motivating you and how we can help you push through any blockages.
