Ask Yourself "What's Next?" in the New Year

Source: iStock, ulkas, used with permission.

The question “What’s next?” may sound too familiar to parents. In this world of technology and social media, young people always want to know what’s in front of them, and the excitement arouses their curiosity and sense of inclusion. While making every effort to adjust to the social media world, some adults, on the other hand, are still looking back to reflect on how far they have come in life. At times they may feel stuck with past failures and successes without gathering the courage to look ahead to experience what life has for them. While both approaches make sense in their own ways, forward looking and thinking is always a way of making adjustments while periodically reflecting on the past to better improve the future. This applies in every area of life, whether in business, relationships, finances, or personal aspirations. Understanding how intertwined life can be comes in handy when you are at a crossroads of decision-making. Having a positive outlook and surrounding yourself with loved ones can generate hope and the will to stay optimistic and practical.

The year 2022 has just ended with all its successes and challenges, and now 2023 is here. With all the expectations in the air, this year could be more promising, uncertain, challenging, and also rewarding. It all depends on your perceptions and expectations. One way to start is by asking the question, “Now that I have made it to 2023, what’s next?” Here are some suggestions for moving ahead into the new year: exercise self-care, have a 12-month plan, have a support group, stay focused, monitor progress on the plan, and celebrate small wins and keep moving forward.

• Exercise Self-Care. Taking care of yourself is a very important piece of the puzzle. A healthy body is an essential tool for the work to be done. Without the tool, nothing can be done efficiently. Some common sense ways to take care of yourself include enhancing your mental well-being, eating a healthy diet, exercising, keeping good friendships, getting enough rest, and holding no grudges. To take care of yourself first decide to give priority to your own well-being. Make up your mind and start investing in self-care because your life reflects the accumulation of choices you make. In order to set the ball rolling, draw up a simple plan and stick to the plan as much as possible.
• Have a 12-Month Plan. Intentionality of purpose is important in decision-making. One way to stick to a plan is to always remind yourself the why of the plan and the consequences of not sticking to the plan. For instance, whether you commute to work or log in to a virtual work site, you create a routine and stick to showing up at work on schedule. You decide not to skip too many days at work because of the consequences of losing a job. The same principle applies to taking care of yourself so you can avoid loss of health and maintain effective functioning. With this mindset, remaining committed to a task can sustain you in accomplishing long- or short-term goals with the help of allies.
• Have a Support Group. For many people, socializing with coworkers outside of work is an effective way to keep a support group. Simply put, having a healthy support group could help you follow your plan for the new year. A support group is considered healthy when the shared goal is for a good cause. On the contrary, for example, having a support group that promotes drug abuse or elicit behaviors cannot be considered healthy. Instead, a health club with members who support each other through healthy diet and exercise can be considered a healthy support group. There are various support groups for specific purposes. It would be a great idea to join and commit to one for a period of time until a tangible result is realized.
• Stay Focused. With so many distractions on social media, it is difficult to focus on one task at a time. Being conscious of the distractions can help reduce the amount of energy invested in them. To combat distraction, it is good to decide what is essential and what is expendable. In this context, self-care, having a plan, and staying with the plan are essential. Any activity that disrupts the plan (with the exception of an emergency situation) can be considered expendable. One way to measure whether a plan is on track is to periodically assess the plan.
• Monitor Progress on the Plan. It is easy to measure someone’s focus by taking an inventory of their past activities. In other words, past events tell a lot about your focus; also a current experience depicts your area of focus. For example, evaluating a 12-month plan halfway through the year can show which areas need further attention for the remaining six months. After evaluating the first six months, irrespective of how small of the progress, celebrate small wins to create momentum.
• Celebrate Small Wins and Keep Moving Forward. It’s always encouraging to celebrate wins, no matter how small. Letting a close accountability partner know about your small win is important and encouraging. Don’t wait for the big wins to celebrate. Acknowledging small wins helps to form habits and set expectations. A 12-month journey starts with one day at a time. Putting one foot in front of the other and staying mentally and physically engaged can work magic.

Asking the question, “What’s next?” is powerful and invigorating. With a positive attitude, you can implement strategies for implementing a plan for the new year. First, take good care of your mental and physical health; have a 12-month plan; stay focused; monitor progress on the plan; and celebrate small wins and keep the momentum going. Committing to even a small task leads to achieving a bigger goal. Just say yes to yourself and that energy will direct your thoughts and actions. Welcome to a new beginning in 2023!