We’re just days away from the start of a new year! While this may mean lots of food, travel, and time with friends and family for many, it can also be the perfect time to reflect upon the current year and prepare for the following. 

Over the last few years I have tried a few different processes and I wanted to share some of my favorites so you can try out which works best for you. I like to pick and choose parts of different processes and make them my own, so feel free to do the same! 

Full Disclosure: I hoped to share my exact processes this year, but an injury to my hand has sadly prevented me from being able to write for a little while. Don’t worry though, I will be sure to share my final results in January, so be sure to stay tuned! 

Now, without further ado, here are some of my favorite ways to reflect, set intentions, and establish my goals: 

• The Bullet Journal Yearly Summary: The creator of the bullet journal, Ryder Carroll, has a Yearly Summary System that I absolutely love. At the 2:37 mark in this video, Ryder explains his system for figuring out “what you want more of”, “what you want less of”, “what worked”, and “what didn’t work” for the year. While he is talking about bullet journals in this case, the process can easily be applied to life too!
• The New Alpha Annual Review: In Danielle Harlan’s book, The New Alpha, she takes the reader through her very own review process on page 182. She asks prompting reflection questions that will get you thinking about the past and the present and then gives you the tools to execute your goals in the following year. 
• Annual Focus Question: This came to me after writing about adopting a “Holiday Mantra” in the recent With Cheryl post titled “Effectively Manage Stress During the Holidays” and listening to Episode 220 of the Raise Your Hand Say Yes Podcast with Tiffany Han. I’ve really loved asking myself this question over the last few weeks and Tiffany’s advice continued this excitement. I’m definitely going to think about what 1 question I want to ask myself to keep myself in check in 2019!
• Set “Core Values”: Last week, I learned about Lyft’s core values which are “Be Yourself,” “Uplift Others,” and “Make it Happen”. These really made me want to set my very own core values to live by next year.  Take a look at this list of 50 common core values from James Clear to get started! 
• Establish Personal Rules: If Core Values don’t work for you, setting rules just might! I know one of my favorite rules came from a monthly goal I set for myself in May to only make only 2 commitments after work a week. What rules can you set for yourself to ensure success?
• Lauren Berger’s YQMB Process: In Lauren Berger’s book, Get it Together, she guides readers through her YQMB goal setting process, which stands for Yearly, Quarterly, Monthly, and Biweekly. This process helps you break down exactly what you need to do on a biweekly, monthly, and quarterly basis to actually achieve your annual goals. Her specific step-by-step process is easy to follow and will absolutely be what I use to accomplish my goals in 2019. 

So, how are you going to get ready for 2019? I’d love to hear what processes you’ve used in the past and how you plan to set yourself up for success in the new year.  Be sure to share in the comments below or with fellow With Cheryl fans on Instagram and Twitter!

NOTE: I am the editor of the books mentioned in this post: 

Get It Together by Lauren Berger and The New Alpha by Danielle Harlan.