Saying Hello to a New Year

Starting a new year is a wonderful opportunity to think about new systems, processes, and ways of working. Feeling fresh and ready isn’t just about doing something different — it’s about having new thinking and new ideas.

Have fun with your restart. Use lots of different tools and see if any themes begin to appear.

One traditional starting point is to think about goals you want to achieve this year. But pause for a moment — is there a goal from last year that you want to keep? Would you like to continue working on it, deepen it, or reach a higher level? Sometimes it’s more powerful to build on what you’ve already started than to begin completely anew.

When you think about fresh goals, brainstorm all the micro-actions you would need to get there. Don’t worry about order at first — just dump everything out. Then step back, look at what you’ve captured, and prioritise.

This is what I call zooming out in order to zoom in: think big, then move into the small steps.

Make the year as joyful as possible for yourself. Keep a notebook and write a list of 100 things you want to do this year — from the biggest dreams to the tiniest pleasures.

It’s also helpful to reflect on the year you’ve just had by asking:

• What will I say yes to this year?
• What will I say no to this year?
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Try two columns for this and notice your balance — ideally, you’re saying yes more often than no.

With my coaching clients, I ask them to choose three words to act as a compass for the year — a sense of direction, such as Kindness, Change, Satisfaction. Each month we reflect on how those words are shaping their choices and whether they still feel right.

Finally, think about something big or small you’d like to change this year. Big might be a career move. Small might be moving your desk closer to the window. Both matter.

Have fun with your reset, refocus, and restart. Embrace the New Year — and the new version of YOU.