A useful practice I’ve found for this time of year is to review what’s happened since January 1, and to think ahead to what I’d like to see for the next year. I’m not sure when my own practice of this originated, however I recommend it enthusiastically.
With financial coaching clients, we we start by looking over their spending record for the year. Clients will share what they’ve noticed, what went as expected, and what went differently than they’d expected or hoped. We also talk about clients’ most significant accomplishments around money, what they’re proudest of. And, for balance, we also talk about clients’ most significant disappointments. These observations are all raw material for building a strong plan for the coming year.
When we look ahead to the coming year, we consider what one thing will be most effective in helping a client meet her/his financial goals and what one thing is most important to stop doing. We talk about the financial goals that the client would like to achieve and what behaviors they want to shift. And we talk about what internal, self-limiting beliefs a client might want to address.
This approach could work for many things in our lives, of course. Money is a useful lens for me because so many choices tie into money. Happy reviewing, and best wishes for your ideal 2016!