As the New Year comes in, we naturally make plans for the coming 12 months. There can be exciting things ahead – but now might also be time to do the New Year’s stocktake. Matt Wingett reports …
Whether you wake up on New Year’s Day 2013 bright-eyed or hungover, I can guarantee there’s one thing we’ll all be thinking of: The future.
You might have some ideas about yours. But if those aspirations you set out at the party or in a quiet moment all seem a bit too vague, it might be worth looking at what you’ve already got to help things come into focus. You might find a clue to your destiny right there, in your past.
Doing a stocktake of what you’ve already got and what you’ve achieved is one of the great things you can do at this time of the year. As well as having those aspirations and goals that will lead you to live the life of your dreams, have a look at what are yours already.
Take some time to jot them down. They will give you an idea of the amazing skills, resources and experiences you’ve already amassed – as well as what’s missing. Here are some questions to really make you think about who you are and the skills you have:
If someone asked you what your passion is, what would you answer?
What subject do you consider yourself to be an expert in?
What spiritual/psychological resources do you have already? Are you determined? Are you creative? Are you funny? Are you a logical thinker? Are you practical? Are you wise? Do you have particular skills or insights that others don’t, in this area?
What support do you have? Think about the friends who are supportive of your endeavours – your family, your home, your skills, your current job, your money. There may be other people and things that are supportive of you, too. List them all out, writing how they are supportive of you and what they give you. You maybe surprised by how much good will there is around you!
What experiences have you had that make you who you are? Think about your experience of life, the places you have been to and seen already and the experiences that you would like to have. Consider your childhood, your working life, your personal life. Going on holiday, seeing amazing things, meeting interesting people. How did those experiences affect you? Was there something among those things that stood out that you would like more of? Wanting something badly enough is also a resource!
Finally, what’s missing? Are there particular skills or things you wish you had but don’t, yet? If so, what are they? How easy are they to acquire? How would you go about getting them?
That’s the stocktake over for now – but you might find that other resources make themselves apparent to you over the next few days – as well as those things you don’t yet have.
Taking some time to just consider these things, and having them in the back of your mind may well help you to find out more clearly what it is that you can do in the days ahead, as you start to plan your future and set your goals!
