Living Well: Leading yourself to success in 2023

Leading yourself to success in 2023

A new year often marks a time of starting over, renewal, and setting big goals. But when it comes to making progress, or even starting the journey, we often find we aren’t meeting our original expectations of ourselves. If you’re stuck in a rut or are still planning your resolutions for the year, try these ideas to steer yourself to a successful year ahead.

Reflect on what you want to start this year

Whether you want to focus on strict goals for the year or be broader with what you want to accomplish, reflecting on what you want to start doing (or restart doing) in general is a great place to begin. Setting SMART goals is often a highly recommended tip – ensuring your goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. However, you can also try being a little looser by choosing to, for example, give yourself an hour of me-time once per week, and using that time to go for a walk, read a book, or try a new recipe. Play to your strengths and be flexible – maybe you’ll find that setting a mix of focused and broad goals is the best method for you to make an impact.
Reflect on what you want to stop this year

Sometimes less is more. Take inventory of what (or even who) is holding you back and make a plan to stop engaging in bad habits or behaviour. Perhaps you want to stop snacking after dinner or even biting your nails. You can also try combining something you want to start with something you want to stop. For instance, if you want to read more, but find yourself endlessly scrolling through social media, cut some of your screen time to allow yourself more room for success.
Remember, without saying no, eventually there will be no room on our plates to take on big things we actually want to say yes to.
Reflect on what you want to continue this year

During the pandemic, many of us found different ways to connect with others, keep ourselves busy, and even try new things. Perhaps you’ve found a new hobby recently and want to continue spending time working on your craft. Simply set a goal to keep doing this activity you enjoy. Healthy habits, activities, and behaviours that create a positive impact are worthy of our time and attention (and can work wonders on our mental health).

Remember to have some compassion and understanding with yourself. If you’ve set your sight on something and it isn’t working, change your approach rather than punishing yourself for your shortcomings. Leading yourself to success, growth, and healthy habits requires consistent work and trying different things. We are all a work in progress!