Reflections, Not Resolutions, Redux!

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Because so many of my coaching clients have shared with me that the three questions below start them off in the right direction every year, I’m reprising this ezine article. (I am excited to share that a version of this resolutions article was selected and posted on Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global website!)

Resolutions—bah hum bug! It drives me crazy that people insist on making New Year’s resolutions on January 1 after one of the most exhausting and busy times of the year. Bad timing is just one of the reasons research shows that 80% of New Year’s resolutions will not come to fruition.

January should be a time for reflection. I am fine with setting goals in February or March, but there are important steps to take first. I encourage you to focus on the following three questions for the month of January:

  1. What went well in 2018? What are the career and personal accomplishments you’re excited about? Start the year by focusing on what went well and celebrating the good in your life!
  2. What did you learn? Sometimes, a specific situation will make you realize it’s time for an important decision or change.
  3. What would you have done differently? This question will prepare you for creating 2019 goals that can really make an impact on your success and happiness.

Every January, I force myself to take out my journal and answer these questions. When I thought about my wins for 2018, I first focused on some exciting personal ones. The first one was creatively combining a business trip with an opportunity to meet my husband Patrick for a week in Barcelona. What an incredible city! I feel like I work for the tourist board for Barcelona because I have encouraged so many friends and clients to take a similar trip. I could not even begin to tell you my highlights of Barcelona but there were many beautiful memories and magical moments.

The second exciting personal accomplishment was visiting my daughter Kira in New Zealand. I can honestly tell you the 15+hour flight was worth it. There were so many incredible “awe” experiences—from seeing beautiful rainbows to incredible wildlife and scenery, and I’ll cherish my time with Kira forever.

Career ReCharge in New Zealand!

When I think about my career accomplishments, there are two that stand out:

The first is finishing and publishing my first book, “Career ReCharge: Five Strategies to Boost Resilience and Beat Burnout.” This was a dream of mine, as many of you know, and it has finally come true!

Another accomplishment was presenting my Benatti Resiliency Model at my first international conference in Madrid, Spain. I was thrilled to have this opportunity to present the Model to Career Thought Leaders from all over the world so they can use it for themselves and with their clients to spark resilience and success.

Never does a year go by without a major learning. What I learned this year is that sometimes we need to say no in order to say yes to what we really want in our life. For two years, I tried to write my book and I felt like I was on a hamster wheel, going round and round. It was the strategy of saying no that finally made it happen in 2018. I decided to dedicate one full workday a week to the book, which meant giving up working with clients for that day. Every Monday, I began the day with a Calm.com meditation, followed by writing and more writing, with recharge breaks provided by taking our sweet puppy Maple out for walks. This strategy really worked for me. What do you need to say no to in 2019 to make the impact or reach the goal you want in your life or career?

The final question will take some deeper reflection, and I plan to have my 2019 goals done by Valentine’s Day as my gift to myself. Remember that life is short, so take time to reflect, recharge, and figure out how you want your year to go!

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