Hard though it is to believe, here comes a new year. In just a few days, 2023 will be history, and 2024 will be on the horizon. What shall we make of this new year?

It is time to review the goals we set for 2023, evaluate our progress, and where we fell short. That is an important step before determining our focus for the new year. Each year does not stand on its own. One year flows into the next. If we are not careful, we can set the same goals each year, and never accomplish them.

How did you do with the goals you set for 2023? Take a long hard look at yourself and be honest about your progress or lack thereof. This does not mean that you should be harsh with yourself, just honest. If you have not been successful with what you planned to accomplish, determine why. What did you do, or not do, that kept you from successfully accomplishing your goals? On the other hand, perhaps you have been successful? How did that happen? What worked for you?

Or you may be in the group of people who failed to even set goals. If this is the case, we should agree that our failure is in not setting goals. We can’t be successful in this if we fail to even set goals.

Once we have reviewed our progress in goal setting in 2023, we can then decide what we want from 2024, and set goals to accomplish those things. What changes do we want to make? What will it take for us to feel successful at the end of 2024?

In one respect, a year is a very long time. In another, a year passes so quickly. Our lives are getting shorter by the minute. Time is our most important resource. We can make our time fruitful, or waste it.

What shall it be for me and you in 2024? Are we going to take the time to plan what we want from this next year, so that it is possible that we can accomplish it? Or will we squander our time, wondering where the year went when it is over?

You will make your own decisions about this, as will I. Let’s just hope that this time next year we can be proud of our decisions.   

Have a safe and happy New Year!