Practicing conscious living helps to boost your mental and emotional well-being, as well as providing a sense of direction and meaning to your life. Start by taking a moment to reflect on the year and in the process, prepare yourself for the next.
Though this comes a little early in the year (it’s early November!), it is still a good reminder to start recollecting your thoughts and take stock of what’s happened so far to move purposefully into the new year.
The Year in Review
- What new things did you discover about yourself this year? Did you manage to overcome a setback in your life? What did you try for the first time? If there wasn’t much, how would you plan to do so in 2016, whether it’s taking up new responsibilities at work, attending that dance class or visiting a new city, despite your busy schedule?
- What single achievement are you most proud of this year? It could be a bold career move, reconnection with old friends, volunteering at a soup kitchen or finally taking some time off for yourself. Think back to when you felt the most accomplished in the year!
- Which of your personal qualities turned out to help you the most this year? End off the year by giving yourself a pat on the back! Whether it’s perseverance, flexibility or that saving habit you picked up when you were young, which of your traits became the most useful to excel at home or at work? To help you along, here is a list of 555 personality traits: http://www.compatibilitycode.com/book-resources/personal-qualities-list/
- What, or who are you most thankful for? Most of us forget to show our appreciation to people and for the things around us. Take this time to list down the things that you are grateful for. Find more tips on creating gratitude lists here: http://www.chriswinfield.com/gratitude-lists/
Looking forward into 2016
- What do you want your theme for 2016 to be? Whether it’s to be a year of public service, improving your health, travel, learning or better relationships, choose one overarching theme and break them into smaller do-able goals in the coming months ahead. Keep your theme in mind to give you the motivation you need to keep you going!
- Who do you want to spend more time with? Would it be a lifelong friend whom you’ve been neglecting for some time now because of work and family commitments? A relative who has been your most ardent supporter through the ups and downs in life? Or perhaps you’d want to strengthen your connection with your spouse?
- What do you want your everyday life to be like? From the moment you wake up to when you fall asleep at night, envision how you’d like to live every single day of your life in 2016. Do you see yourself getting up earlier on the weekends to do something productive and meaningful, instead of sleeping in and almost wasting away your day? Or would you want to set up a fitness routine after work each night?
- What are the top 3 goals you’d like to achieve in 2016? Is it about pursuing your artistic dreams or mastering a skill that you’ve always wanted to improve on? Would it be to tidy up your finances and pay off that loan once and for all? Is 2016 the year where you’ll finally kick that vice of yours? Or would it be to work even harder to get that promotion you’ve always wanted?
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Soon Loo is a Senior Executive Coach and Program Leader at Executive Coach International. A recipient of JCI’s prestigious ‘Ten Outstanding Young Persons of The World’ award in 2013, Soon is committed to mentoring professionals and youths from all walks of life. Soon also works with the Brunei Economic Development Board to invest in local companies that have the potential of expanding globally. In his coaching journey, Soon has worked closely with over 600 individuals from all over the world.
A Harvard MBA graduate, Soon has a rich corporate experience, spanning from start-ups in Silicon Valley (where he raised over US$35 million in VC funds) to MNCs in China and Singapore. He also served as one of the youngest Regional Vice Presidents of a Global Fortune 50 MNC, where he managed projects in business development and strategy which oversaw its US$9.5 billion business in the Asia Pacific.