Happy New Year!
In the first HIM & HER Show of the year, Michael and I sat down to share the tips and tools we use to reflect, revise and refine our goals, systems and life for an improved year ahead.
Be sure to listen to the full episode for more details, but as always, let’s lay it out all out here.
Tools to Make This Your Best Year Yet
LAURYN
AUDIT LAST YEAR
Exactly as it sounds, take some time to audit the previous year. This goes into some of the tools listed below, but really think about what worked and what didn’t, then get ready to implement those things when coming up with goals and changes for every area of your life in the new year.
THINK WEEK
You know I love some thinking time, and in January the best week of the year to do this is January 2 – 7th. Michael disagrees as you’ll hear, but for me, this is IT. Everyone is exhausted, there aren’t so many demands and you have the time and space to do your audit of the past year. I use this ‘think week’ to go over intentions, goals, systems and think about what I could’ve done better.
A PAGE OF GOALS
Every year I grab a sheet of paper and write down the things I want to accomplish this year. I fold it up, put it away in a drawer and the next time I look at it – well, let’s just hope most have been done.
SPACE IN MY CALENDAR
It’s very important for me to have space if I want to run my business like an athlete. And a key to this is having space in my calendar that I can fill in as I please. Ryan Holiday talks about this in his episode on The HIM & HER Show. Essentially it’s saying NO more than saying YES, as many entrepreneurs have to do the opposite in the early days of their business. There’s a point where it needs to be reversed: say no more than you say yes.
This gives me room to fill it with things like writing, creating, meditating, exercise, walking, reading. Fill it with things that fill your cup and move your needle, whether that’s in business, wellness, family or personal growth.
LET THEM, THEN LET ME
We recently recorded with Mel Robbins and her book The Let Them Theory is such a simple but incredible read. It makes so much sense and you’ll know what I mean after you read it.
Basically, let people do whatever they want, but then you do it too. Using this theory is amazing because it frees up your energy for yourself, instead of others. No one has the capacity to deal with others’ bullshit. Read this book, because it truly will give you more gas in your tank and help you be more effective.
PHONE BOUNDARIES
Having boundaries around your phone is so important these days and I thought I was pretty good at it. Somehow it has a way of creeping back in though. My goal for the next year is to be even more intentional with my phone. When I’m home I just want it out of my sight so I can be fully present with my husband and kids.
MINDFUL OF WHAT I’M READING
Reading is like working out for me. It’s one of the most important things in my life. Reading makes you smarter, better, faster, sharper. This year I’m committing to reading Michael’s suggestions. He’s been saying I should read books that are outside of my typically genres.
MORE/LESS CHART
I do this every year and it’s just as it sounds. Take a page of paper, and on one side write MORE, and on the other write LESS. And simply write what you want more of and what you want less of.
It can be anything from less alcohol, friends, your calendar, work whatever.
MICHAEL
CREATE A THEME
Start every year with what you want the theme for the entire year to be. For example in 2023 my theme was developing a fitness plan that I stayed consistent with. Everything else in my life revolved around that.
2024 was about getting sleep and overall health dialed in. This year my theme is being a beast in business.
7 1 1
This form of goal setting is really effective because it helps you create systems to get to your main goal.
Create a goal list of what you want to happen in 7 years time. Think big and write 4 or 5 things. Then write down what you need to do within the next year to get you to that 7 year goal. Finally, write down the things you need to do each month within that year to get you to the 1 year goal.
AUDIT
Just like Lauryn said, audit your past year and figure out what worked for you and what didn’t. This can be routines, habits, food, friends, wellness, anything and everything. I find this to be one of the hardest practices because you have to be really honest with yourself.
TAKE ON A NEW HOBBY OR SKILL
These days it seems like we don’t spend enough time on things we enjoy. Last year Lauryn and I got really into tennis and it’s been so much fun. The learning curve of trying something new is interesting and it gives you a productive escape from work and life obligations. It helps you not take life too seriously and get back to hobbies and fun like when you were younger.
Pick something you haven’t done in a while or something you’ve never done before and always wanted to try.
RALLY THE TROOPS
Creating your goals is half the battle, but the other half is following through. I think sharing them with certain people can help hold you accountable. This could be in the form of a gym buddy or a book club. Whatever it is, I find sharing goals means they’re more likely to happen.
REPUTATION AT THE END OF THE YEAR
I’m a huge fan of Charlie Munger who recently passed away. He was so wise. One of his tips that stuck with me is to write your own obituary. Think of what you’d want someone to write about you after you pass then live your life in that way. My suggestion is to do something similar but think of what you’d want someone to say about you at the end of the year.
Be sure to listen to the full episode and let us know what you think below. Do you have any exercises and tools to start the new year?
x, Lauryn
+ 7 books successful people read.
++ How to plan out your day.
TOOLS FOR THE NEW YEAR:
