This is part 2 of the 5 part series on goal setting. You can find Part 1 HERE.

I am a huge believer in goal setting. Progress happens best through planned, thoughtful action. Goal setting allows us to strive for something bigger, move out of our comfort zone, and to really grow even if we do not achieve our goals.

However, there is a good way to do things and a BETTER way to do things. I propose that the better way to set goals is to first spend some time reflecting on your past. If you don’t take time to learn from your past you are setting goals in the dark. Last week we spend some time reflecting on your recent past, this past year. Today, we are going to go further and examine your past as a whole to see what we can learn from it.

Learning from your past allows you to create a better future. When you are just living your life in default mode and not spending time reflecting, then you will find yourself continuing to repeat the same patterns and remaining fairly stagnant. I know you do not want that. I know you want to achieve, succeed, and grow. So let’s start our goal setting for this year right, and reflect on our past.

These are a few things I recommend reflecting on for your past. I recommend pausing in between each question and taking some time to write and truly reflect. This is the most important part of the process so don’t skip through these questions.

1. What goals have you achieved in the past?
2. What goals do you tend to keep having, but don’t actually achieve?
3. What is your history with setting goals, writing goals, and/or working towards them?
4. What patterns keep coming up in your life that you want to end?
5. What has helped make you successful with goals in the past?
6. What has held you back from achieving goals in the past?
7. What are your greatest strengths?
8. What are your biggest weaknesses?

So, spend some time answering these questions. Dive deep into them and don’t hold back from reflecting on your past. Maybe some of these questions didn’t speak strongly to you, but maybe they inspired a reflection question that you really needed to answer.

I would love to hear what came up for you during your reflection in the comments below.

Next week we will start looking at writing goals for your new year. 

And, if you want to go even deeper into goal setting for the new year then join me for the free New Years Mini Series.

Much love, Danielle