How to Make 2016 Your Most Awesome Year Ever (With 3 Simple To-Do’s)

As I stared at the blank document on my computer screen, pondering potential blog ideas and coming up with nothing, a recent Facebook post came to mind:

I thought to myself, if I had taken an empty jar last January, and popped a little note into it every time something good happened, I would have some great ideas for this blog. On top of that, I would probably feel pretty good about myself because:

Confidence comes as a memory of success.

This was a quote I jotted down when I participated in Dr. Moira Somers’ five-session teleconference series on Women and Finance: Getting Real about Money.

If I asked you to quickly name 10 good things that happened to you in 2015, would you be able to? It’s tough for me to come up with 10 things this past year that:

• I feel I did well;
• I’m proud of;
• I worked my way through to a successful end; or
• I would describe as good things that have happened to me.

This isn’t because they haven’t happened but because I can’t remember them off the top of my head. It’s hard to build confidence from “memory of success” if you can’t readily remember those successes. Here are some suggestions on how to change that.

TO-DO #1
Get a jar, pen and some paper. In 2016, write yourself a little note every time something good happens to you. It can be something someone did for you, something that you are proud of, or a something that made you feel good. As they happen, write them down and drop them into your jar.

As most of us are our own worst critics, it probably wouldn’t be difficult to look back on 2015 and quickly think of things we could have done better.  The good news is:

Confidence also comes from getting through painful experiences.

Things don’t always turn out as planned. The value of painful experiences is in how we learn and grow from them.

TO-DO #2
Take the time to:

• Reflect on why something didn’t go as well as you had hoped;
• Envision a better (or even a BEST) result; and
• Strategize on what to do differently next time.

Writing down strategies to achieve your vision of the BEST result will provide you with the tools to handle similar situations in the future. This process will help you build confidence.

TO-DO #3
Let’s go back to the Good Things Jar because good things build on each other. On a cold winter day, around this time next year, open up your Good Things Jar and read some of the notes. Not only will you most likely discover that 2016 has been a most AWESOME year EVER! But you will probably also remember some amazing coincidences that happened along the way because as Dr. Somers said in one of the sessions:
Opportunities show up, disguised as coincidences when you are on the right path.

For more information on Dr. Moira Somers and her work, visit her website, Money, Mind and Meaning. 

– Nancy Bromell
Business Advisor