Disclaimer: This is a refresh from my last year's article about goals!
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One thing is a fact: 2022 has been an intense year.
I believe we can say that, as the world started re-opening "after" COVID, this is the year where we "came back to our normal lives" - at least in most parts of the world.
As expected, this movement back to our offices, social lives, and others, has been a challenge for many of us. Truth is, life will simply never be the same as it was before.
As the philosopher Heraclitus once wrote: "No man ever steps in the same river twice"
This fact on its own makes things already complicated, doesn't it?
Usually during this period of the year, I some of us start to look back and try to reflect on the main achievements, learnings and also to plan the year that is about to come.
This can be a difficult task, since our New Year resolutions can easily become a piece of paper that we never look at again, or maybe something dreadful due to the fact that we just expected too much and were not able to accomplish anything. This can lead to a lot of frustration, and many of us lose hope on even trying to plan for the new year.
I believe that this is a specially interesting task in 2022 due to the current context we're living. At least for me, I feel like I lived 2 years in one, and will need quite some time to understand what went on ;)
For this reason, (and also because you have asked :)), I have worked on the following guide to wrap up your 2022 the best way possible, and to help you set realistic goals for 2023.
Before anything... a couple of reminders:
I used a mix of "methodologies and guides" I have learned over the past years. Some of them might not be that new to you, and some of the content is certainly not "original"; However, I am sharing with you exactly what I do. This process changes every year and I make sure to run my own process before I write this article so I can share it based on experience
Don't expect the process to be perfect! It will be messy, but embrace it and it will eventually work out
Goal-setting is a continuous process: Only do it if you are willing to come back to it at a later stage, and preferably to embed reflection on your routine.
Getting started: What will you need?
In case you are ready to start, here is what you will need for the process:
A couple of hours (at least 2 hours - it usually takes me 4 hours for the whole process)
A quiet spot (or a nice one - I like coffee places and a bit of a change of environment)
A notebook and a pen OR your computer - whatever works best for you (I an a fan of notebooks, and I always use the same brand. 😉
Access to your calendar and your phone, in case you want to browse through appointments and pictures
Access to your bank account, if you want to go more in depth into your financial planning
Part 1: Reflecting on 2022
1.1 How did you start the year?
Let‘s start looking back: Take a couple of minutes to visualize how you were by the end of 2021:
Where were you when 2021 was finished?
How were you emotionally? Physically?
What were your hopes and ambitions?
What did you want to achieve in 2022?
In case you set goals for 2022, it might be interesting to look at the notes from the reflection process you've gone through to set these goals. Try to recap and get in the mood.
After this, we can move to understanding what 2022 was like to you.
1.2 The Highs, Lows and Key Learnings of 2022
We start by taking the time to look into 2022 month by month.
For that, I suggest you go through your appointments on your calendar, photos you have on your phone, or any written memories you have.
Then, write down what have been the highs, lows, and learnings you had/experienced for each month of the year.
Here is an example structure to follow (based on my own journal).
Ps: In case you have any printed memories such as photos, tickets, or anything else, you might want to glue them to your notebook.
1.3 Extra (optional) element: Looking into your financial life in 2022
In case you would like to do a deeper dive on your finances, I suggest you go through the steps below. If this is not a major focus to you, feel free to jump ahead.
What do you need to do?
- Check your bank account overview / summary per month
- Look into your savings and investments accounts: How much did you save / Put aside?
This will help you derive the following:
- Your yearly cash flow
- How much you've invested or saved
- Any anomalies / big spending months
- Any additional money that came in (unexpected or not).
I usually go through this process with my husband Daniel. We look into what we've spent and try to make adjustments on our fix costs, additional spendings, and also on our investments and savings.
This can help you on the next section, when we are going to draw a strategy for your 2023.
That being said, I decided to create a more comprehensive guide that can help you review your financial aspect on 2022 and plan 2023. You can access it here on the third tab.
You should know: the responsible for putting this work on finances together was my husband, Daniel Bastos. So yeah, go ahead and thank him after :)
1.4 Recognizing yourself and your achievements
You've gone through your highs, lows and learnings.
Now, it's time to reflect on the following:
What are you most proud of?
What are you grateful for?
Try to list down as many points as you can.
Then, before moving on, stop for a second, take a quick look at the list, and feel the positive energy you get from it. Enjoy the moment a bit - you deserve it!
1.5 The people who impacted you (optional)
List down the names of the people that impacted you the most, be that on your personal or professional life. But don't stop there! Try to write a bit more about them: Why were they important? Why did they impact you? How did you feel?
You can list down as many people as you want. However, for the top 3 people, I would add a small challenge: write them a message and thank them for whatever they've done.
You have no idea of how much that can add value to their lives to know that they were important to you. And you will feel amazing too :)
1.6 One word to describe 2022
If you could describe 2022 in one word, which one would it be?
Don't think too much - just write what comes to mind!
1.7 Say goodbye to 2022 👋
It is finally time to say goodbye to 2022.
This is the moment for you to debrief whatever experience you had, and to move forward.
I recommend you write a goodbye letter to 2022, as a closure, to help you get ready for a new chapter.
After you've done so, say goodbye to this year, and thank it for your learnings and experiences.
That means you are ready for a new chapter. My suggestion? Take a little (or long) break. Go grab yourself a cup of tea/coffee/water before moving to 2023. And good job on making it this far!
Part 2: Planning 2023
Now that 2022 is "gone", let's focus on 2023!
What better way to do that than seeing what areas you need to focus on to have a more balanced life?
For this reason, I recommend you start with the "Wheel of life".
It will help you assess where you stand x where you want to be by the end of 2023.
This exercise will help you think about your goals afterwards - actually, moving from the wheel of life to objectives will be sort of a natural process.
Before you proceed...
Just so you know, from here you can move forward in two ways:
a) With your own notebook or b) By making use of this spreadsheet as a guide (just create a copy for yourself)
Go ahead and follow the best way that really works for you. The most important point is to go through the exercise.
2.1 Draw your wheel of life and define your current state
Start by drawing a circle divided in 10 areas, or just click on the spreadsheet link. Then, try to score yourself from 0-10 on the following aspects as of how you are today.
You might notice some thoughts coming up while scoring yourself. Write them down as they come as well.
#1 Health and Fitness 🏋🏻♀️
How would you rate your health, given your age and any physical conditions?
#2 Intellectual life 🤓
How much time do you set aside to learn new things, and how fast are you learning
Which books do you read/podcasts do you listen to/tutorials do you watch?
Which seminars/workshops do you attend?
Are you seeking to learn from others?
#3 Emotional life ✨
What is the quality of your home, your car, your office and the general spaces where you spend your time during the day and night (eg: café’s, bars, schools, etc), even when travelling?
Do you paint, write, play music, or engage in other activities that channel your creativity?
How much are you giving, contributing and playing a definite role in your community?
#4 Spiritual life 🧘🏻♀️
How much time do you devote to spiritual, meditative, or contemplative practices that keep you feeling connected, balanced and peaceful?
Do you feel connected to a higher sense of self?
#5 Love relationships ❤️
How happy are you with your romantic relationships?
If you're not currently in a romantic relationship, how ready do you feel to do so? How do you feel about this?
#6 Family life 🏠
How is your relationship with your partner, parents and siblings?
If you don’t have immediate family, how is your relationship with your alternate family (dearest friends, extended family)?
#7 Social life 👯♀️
How strong of a support network do you have?
Do you have at least 5 people who you know have your back, and you just love being around (mostly!)?
Do you feel like your friends/connections are helping you grow?
#8 Financial life 💰
How is your financial life?
Do you feel satisfied with your income and how you spend your money?
For more information on finances, feel free to click here.
#9 Career 💼
Are you growing, progressing and excelling? Or do you feel stuck in a rut?
How fast are you improving the skills that make you unique and help you build a successful career, or enjoy a meaningful past time?
Are you growing towards mastery or stagnating?
#10 Adventure & Fun 🥳
How much time do you get to travel, experience the world and do things that open you up to new experiences and excitement?
2.2 Define a target for each area for 2023
After you've done that, do the same exercise, but for 2023: Where do you want to be? Set a score for each one.
Of course you might want to have everything at a 10, but remember that life is all about balance. What is really a priority for you?
Try to look at the wheel of life as a whole and score the areas based on this thinking.
2.3 Set your goals for 2023
Based on the wheel of life exercise you've just gone through, what are your main objectives for 2023?
State them in a sentence, and try to focus on goals you can control.
For example, "get married by 2023" or "become president of Brazil next
year" might not be fully under your control (elections just passed, by the way 😉), and they would make you feel very frustrated. Therefore, I advise you to be bold, but look inside your influence zone.
For now, just put your goals on paper. We will prioritize them next.
2.4 Prioritize your goals for 2023
Now that you've written the goals, it's time to prioritize them.
You can cluster them in Low/Medium/High priority, or even measure them in Impact x Effort.
Do not pick too many, but I will not tell you how many, since this is entirely up to you.
I have to be honest, last year I set quite some goals for myself and needed to prioritize them again in Q1 😆
2.5 Make it even more specific: Define your attitudes
Now you have your top goals, it's time to make it more specific. This part will help you turn "big" goals into small chunks you can do, little by little.
For each goal, try to think of at least 3 attitudes/steps you can take as of 1st of January in order to make it happen. For example, if your goal is to "become consistent in the gym (5x/week) on the Health and Fitness category, you could define attitudes such as: Organizing my morning routine to go to the gym, find a buddy to go with me, hire a personal trainer for the first month, etc..
In the end of the process, this is how your planning looks like:
Also, in case you want, I would recommend making these goals more measurable. For that , you can use the SMART Framework. Here's a bit more about it.
2.6 Choose your BHAG (Big, Hairy, Audacious) goal for 2023
A big hairy audacious goal, or BHAG, is a clear target for anyone to strive for - generally used for organizations, but here I am suggesting you try it on yourself.
In case you are curious, the term became famous because of the book “Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies” by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras.
How do you know if your goal is a BHAG?
Try having a goal that fits the following criteria:
Does it stimulate forward progress?
Does it get you going?
Is it stimulating, exciting, adventurous?
Are you willing to put your energy into it?
If so, then feel free to move forward. However, there are a couple more questions I'd like you to answer:
- What is the goal?
- How do you know when you're successful?
- What do you need to get there (try to make it as detailed as possible, like a timeline)
- Who do you need/ Who can help you?
- To achieve it by the end of 2023, when do you need to get started?
2.7 Last but not least, your affirmation for 2023.
If you had to read the same sentence every single morning of 2023, what would it be?
This is the final step of the process I want you to work on: A powerful affirmation about the year of 2023.
An affirmation that gets you going when times are hard, or when you are just a bit tired.
If you've never written an affirmation before, here's a quick guide on how to start with it.
Take this affirmation and place it somewhere you can see every day.
Conclusion: Work for it, but don't forget to adapt on the way
In case you read this far, congratulations: you've made it!
Just before we wrap up, I wanted to leave you some final messages:
1. Keep your notebook/spreadsheet and your goals somewhere you can visualize and look back. 👀 Some people even create visual boards and leave them in the office, for example. The more you look at it, the better.
2. Goals are amazing, but the most important thing is your attitude towards them. 🚀Sometimes, you have to change your plans due to unexpected things happening in your life, and that's okay. That's why I recommend you take some time every quarter to check where you stand with your goals, and to adapt them accordingly. Goals are not rigid: they can be changed based on reality. So, if something doesn't work according to your plan, try to learn from it and to get better on the way.
3. You have to be willing to do the work. 🔥
If you want to go where you've never been, you have to go the extra mile and do what you've never done. Don't forget about that!
In case you want to hear more about how to achieve and review your goals, feel free to check another article I wrote about it on quarterly review.
I hope you enjoyed this article, and I am looking forward to hearing what you have planned for 2023! 🤩
Good luck and happy holidays! 🙌 ❤️
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