“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” ~Annie Dillard
How was your 2014? If you’re like most, there was some good and some bad; some things fondly remembered and some best forgotten. Whatever kind of year you had, there is always something exciting about the possibility and promise of January 1st.
As I’ve written before, each year I spend a few days reflecting on the previous 12 months and planning for the coming year. Going through this exercise helps me to reflect on past successes, fix problems, set priorities and generally be more intentional during the year ahead. I usually use a simple, three step process: 1) Do a quick annual review (i.e. what went well and what didn’t go well), 2) Set specific goals, 3) Outline strategy and tactics.
The last few months of 2014 were so busy for me that I find myself working through this process today as my family and I relax around the house. I’m assuming some of you might be in the same boat, so I thought I’d post several links to past articles at Intentional Retirement that you might find helpful as you think about and plan for 2015. Thanks for following along and stay tuned for some fun new things at the site in the year ahead.
From the Archives:
- 15 practical ways to live a purposeful life
- Your plan for the New Year in 3 easy steps
- Annual Financial Checkup
- 10 resolutions that will keep you on track for a secure retirement
- How (and why) to make a time budget for the New Year
- The cure for “Where did the time go?”
- 10 questions that will help you decide what to do in retirement (and life)
- Curate your life
- Schedule your good stuff
- Say “yes” to adventure
- The problem with delayed gratification