The old adage, “new year, new me” may seem trite to some people. But the truth is, the turning of the year in January can be a great time for leaders and professionals to take stock of what worked well for them over the past year and what didn’t, consider a reset in certain areas of their lives and determine what they want to focus on improving.
Whether you feel in need of a total refresh or just want to maintain positive momentum, the period after the holidays could be the perfect time to start a new practice, eliminate an unhealthy habit, adopt a fulfilling new hobby, revamp your daily routine or make any number of other life-enhancing changes. Below, Forbes Coaches Council members recommended 16 approaches to setting yourself up for success in 2023.
Members pictured from left to right.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.1. Practice Mindfulness That Places Attention Internally
Happiness sought from outside forces is temporary. Prioritizing our individual selves and practicing mindfulness that places attention internally may allow us to cultivate happiness and tranquility that remain constant. Therefore, no matter what dire circumstances may arise, we are able to return our mind and body to a state of equilibrium and respond to situations calmly and effectively. - Gamini Hewawasam, ManoLead NFP
2. Create Personal And Professional Goals
January is a great time to reflect on the past 12 months and decide on your personal and professional goals for the next 12 months. Make sure they are tied to your long-term personal and career aspirations, and be creative by drawing or creating a picture board based on the goals. Then, communicate your goals to your key stakeholders and ask for their help in holding you to account during the year. - Andrew Tallents, The Tallents Partnership Limited
3. Decide Where To Put In The Most Effort
January is a great time to reflect on where I want to put my effort in the coming year. I set goals knowing that I will need to be agile to respond both to where my energy is in a particular area and wherever exciting opportunities arise. I frame this thought process in the context of a broader strategic plan based on what I want to achieve in a three-year time frame and my own growth plan. - Charles Dormer, APEX STP, LLC
4. Plan A Trip That Includes Both Business And Pleasure
Plan a trip that includes both business and pleasure to build vacation time into your schedule, improve quality of life and create work-life balance. A vacation can double as an opportunity to get creative and brainstorm business ideas. Mixing the two will make it less stressful to return to the office and, while not having fully disengaged, still have taken some time to unwind. - Liudmila Schafer, The Doctor Connect Consultancy
Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
5. Start Reflecting On 2022 Before January
Don’t wait until January! Start today by reflecting on your personal 2022 narrative. What did you accomplish? Where did you fall short? Then, determine which gaps you want to fill, as well as those areas where you are okay letting go. Find an accountability partner, a trusted colleague or a coach to share your goals and quarterly updates with. This intentional work will lead to success! - Jill Helmer, Jill Helmer Consulting
6. Use The ‘Start, Stop, Continue’ Technique
In January, and every other month of the year, I recommend that you revisit your goals. With my clients, I use the “start, stop, continue” technique: What do I need to “start” doing, what do I need to “stop doing” to get there, and what’s working—that is, what do I want to “continue” doing to get me there? This method allows people to get super specific about a small number of actions to take to move forward. - Alanna Fincke, meQuilibrium
7. Identify What Inspires And What Deprives You
Audit your personal and professional calendars. Look at what inspires you and what deprives you. Where possible, double down on the former and start to weed out the latter. Some changes won’t happen overnight, but start the year with the right focus on maximizing your moments of inspiration. A few hours (or even minutes) each day focused on more joyous activities can add up to a great year. - Osman Khan, 10x CEO
8. Take Your Own Coaching Advice
Ask yourself this question: If I were my own client, what would I tell myself to do to set myself up for success this year?” Whatever comes to mind, do that. Take your own advice. It’s your business and your career. Only you know what’s best for you. - Leang Chung, Pelora Stack
9. Focus On Taking Care Of Your Mental Health
To kick off the new year, it’s crucial to take care of your mental health, which includes doing things such as managing stress, practicing self-care and setting boundaries with others. Taking care of your mental health can help you avoid frustration and burnout when it comes to your job or any goals you may set for yourself. - Doug Holt, The Powerful Man
10. Find An Accountability Partner
An accountability partner can be a trusted friend, colleague or loved one. Share your vision and goals for the next 12 months and get them to share theirs. Get excited about what you are hearing and what you are sharing, and make a commitment to celebrate when each one takes a step in the right direction, no matter how small. Make a date to do the exact same thing next year. - Shamila Mhearban, Shamila M. Ltd
11. Create Clear Commitments Based On Lessons Learned
Close out the previous year by looking at your wins, losses, challenges, disappointments and lessons learned. Those takeaways allow you to build your intentions for the new year and create clear commitments. Ask yourself what needs to happen to achieve what you want to achieve, and find a unifying theme to center each action item around while identifying the personal growth you need to lead even more successfully. - Lisa Marie Platske, Upside Thinking, Inc.
12. Time Block Your Calendar For The Most Important Things
For many people, time blocking is an easy task; for others, it can be more difficult. It’s said that you can tell peoples’ priorities by looking at their calendars. Those training for a marathon have a training plan so that they can accomplish their goal. The same thing applies to the most important priorities that we have for the year. - Evan Roth, Roth Consultancy International, LLC.
13. Leverage Insights From The Past Year To Inspire You
Reflect on lessons learned, any surprises, what didn’t work out and what you accomplished in the past year. Then, create a ritual to release the past. Finally, leverage insights from your reflection to inspire you for 2023. This approach helps you to feel complete in terms of the past year and, therefore, lighter and more energized for the new year. You’ll be committed to your efforts in a more relevant way. - Rosie Guagliardo, InnerBrilliance Coaching
14. Take ‘Microsteps’ As You Work Toward Goals
Neuroscience shows us that trying to make drastic changes rarely succeeds, but making small, incremental changes—taking “microsteps”—significantly increases your likelihood of success. Using the “habit stacking” approach by adding new microsteps to your existing routines also significantly increases the likelihood of you achieving your goal. - Brandy Simula, Brandy L. Simula Coaching and Consulting
15. Don’t Set Goals You Won’t Follow Through With
Whatever you do, don’t set a lot of goals that you won’t actually follow through with. It is not helpful and makes goal setting overall ineffective. I recommend taking time to be very strategic and thoughtful about what is working and what is not in terms of all of your life domains—work, family, community and beyond. Consider elements in your life that can make you more effective, and shift! - Susan Madsen, Jon M. Huntsman School of Business
16. Prioritize Self Care With ‘Me’ Time
Make the decision to stop going from meeting to meeting to meeting to meeting, and put some “me” time in your calendar. How can you operate at your best if you don’t look after yourself? During that “me” time, meditate, nap, think about what’s important or do whatever works best for you. We need to slow down to speed up. Taking intentional and deliberate “me” time will help you be more successful. - Alex Draper, DX Learning Solutions
