A new year is on the horizon. For many, it’s a time of planning and making promises for a healthier lifestyle. But what if there was no need to set New Year’s resolutions? In my forthcoming book, The Athena Principles, Simple Wellness Practices for Overworked Professionals, I outline a simple exercise called “Addition and Subtraction.” I’ve adapted that exercise to take the place of creating well-intentioned goals at the beginning of the year that, research shows, will most likely fail or fade.

What you’ll need:

A notebook and pen
Your 2019 calendar
About 30 minutes of quiet time

What to do:

Draw two evenly spaced lines down the page to create three columns
Label the columns:

o Defining Moments

o Lights Me Up

o Depletes My Energy

Flip through your 2019 calendar and note your milestones and accomplishments for the year under the Defining Moments category. You can also consider what you’ve learned, obstacles you’ve overcome and ways you’ve grown.
As you reflect back on the year, also note in the respective columns, when your energy was elevated (Lights Me Up) and when it waned (Depletes My Energy). Your list can include people, places, things and experiences. You can also list the things that are working well/not working well and activities you enjoy/don’t enjoy.

In lieu of New Year’s resolutions:

With the upcoming year in mind, review your milestone list. How might you build on your successes and leverage the lessons learned over the last year? Are there missteps that can be avoided? Learning curves that can be shortened? Acknowledge and appreciate how you’ve grown and how far you’ve come.
Review the “Lights Me Up” and “Depletes My Energy” lists and reflect on the reasons behind the energy gain or loss.
Pick one “Lights Me Up” item and schedule a related “feel good” activity for the upcoming week.
Pick one “Depletes My Energy” item and determine a way to minimize its impact for the upcoming week.
Repeat these steps at the beginning of each week as the year progresses.

This short exercise helps us honor the past, feel grateful for our growth and create meaning from our experiences, all which propel us forward. While it’s not advisable to dwell on the past, we can certainly learn from it. In fact, those lessons are invaluable as we prepare and make plans for the future.

Journal Reflections: As you reflect on the past year, which defining moments evoke feelings of pride and accomplishment? What were your key learnings? How have these milestones prepared you for the upcoming year?

Looking Back to Move Forward