We hear and read much about goal setting with the onset of a New Year.
The rear view must be kept in sight to negotiate the lift-off to the front view, to minimise errors and risks that need refining − that backward glance reminder is significant as the new year begins
Looking back on the not so distant past year, its exit a rapidly fading memory− caught in the fanfare and fountain of eternal fireworks that kick-start the New Year− if we linger on the threshold of the New Year, we might not move forward fast enough.
With everything in life, we get better at it when we do it over with a new spin, a new attitude and a passion to achieve the best we can.
We are human after all, we can only get better with a little effort and skill.
How do we keep the rear view in focus while bolting to the front view?

- Make a list of your past successes
- Make a list of some past shortcomings
- Match them against each other
- Now decide what is worth pursuing and what should be culled.
- Work at culling first and shutting down that rear mirror.
- Pick up the shortcomings that need attention – make them a priority, review, add-in, refine and polish. Repeat the cycle a few times. Once this is defined as the way forward, look at the new front view, you want to see, and advance at a speed and pace that is comfortable for you.
How do we create that front view?
- Itemise THREE small goals you want to achieve
- Make a list of the tools you might require
- Set a timeline for how you will achieve each goal
- Structure the above timeline in four monthly slots
- Start with the goal that is perceived as crucial to a glorious front view
- Proceed with getting as close as you can as the four-monthly goal post rolls in
- Move to the next goal, even if the first has not been fully realised, the first view should continue to grow as the second is being crafted
- Continue with this pattern, with your eye on the long view
What if there are challenges within each new view?
Here’s the thing:
- reflect-reflect-reflect
- write down or voice record what happened, why it happened and what you can improve upon
- without conscious acknowledgement of why the challenge arose, the risk is, it might recur, awareness through thought, guides and creates a redirection for a better view.
- turn to influencers in your craft: writer, teacher, mother, father, painter, musician etc, draw inspiration from their blogs, podcasts, Facebook specific groups, face-to-face interactions and professional associations.
- Ask questions, no question is too simple.
It’s a pattern− not an inflexible structure− t should be one that guides your drive through the year, a look in the rear-view mirror, as you proceed, is a worthwhile look− reduce the frequency when you reach your halfway mark.
Keep driving, keep looking ahead, and a safe and happy arrival is assured!
Happy New Year!
What’s your view on the rear view? Add your comments below.

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