If you know me at all, you know that I’m a planner. I’m pretty organised, I know what’s the plan at least for the next week, I have goals and I track them, and I’m pretty clued in about my money.
Yet, sometimes, a year feels like a long time. Too many things seem to have happened, at the same time, nothing seems to have moved at all. Am I a better writer? Why do I still have the same problems I had last year? How am I supposed to grow? Especially 2020 was batshit, right!
Every December, I use Michael Hyatt’s Your Best Year Ever to review my year, recalibrate my expectations and move on to the new year. I’ve highlighted sections and flagged activities that I should be doing. In fact, I was going through a rough patch in March this year, and I went back to the book then too.
A few things from the book that stay with me.
“You have more agency than you think”.
In my case, this was true. And it helped me move away from “I’m not finding the right people”, “no one can write the way I want” etc. to actually having a stellar team of writers, that’s also growing.
“Complete the past.”
Gosh, this is the toughest. I carry my mistakes on my body as perpetual open wounds. In spite of all the therapy, you can trigger it by just saying a remotely relevant word. But the thing is, I now remember to complete the past. I have fewer wounds. And helps my need for closure immensely.
“Choose your circle wisely.”
Just that someone loves you, doesn’t mean they’ll support you. When you’ve ideas and ambitions, it’s important to know who to share it with or who to brainstorm with. Parents, friends, peers, mentors — choose wisely.
“Detailed planning can be a fancy way to procrastinate.”
I’ve written about bias for action before.
If you’re looking to shake off 2020 and start afresh, I recommend this book to guide you through the process. However, remember that it’s a self-help book for business management. It’ll have quotes from Steve Jobs and war generals and presidents and things.
If you can see past that, it’s a good framework to prevent you from falling off the planning horse.