Map Out the 2020 Year
Last month I invited you to reflect upon the year as it was coming to an end (very close to the end I might add). This month I’d like to invite you to consider the benefits of planning for the year to come. It’s never too late to develop a plan. Give yourself permission to map out a bad plan, because a bad plan is better than no plan at all.
Some people find it helpful to plan the year in it’s 12 months, while others prefer to plan in 52 weeks. The important thing to remember is to just take it one step at a time. However you want to draw the time boundaries around 2020, keep in mind the following questions as you plan out your year:
Example: What would I like to _________ (today; This week; Month; Quarter, Year)?
- What would I like to accomplish?
- What improvements would I like to develop and focus on?
- How and when would I like to travel?
- Who do I want to spend more time with?
- What new habit needs strengthening?
- What old habit needs extinguishing?
- How often would I like to check-in and make sure I’m “on top of things”?
Tracking your progress throughout the year is very personal. Another’s customizations won’t necessarily work for you. Therefore, if you haven’t already done so, explore what planners appeal to the way your mind works. Planners that I find helpful have a daily, weekly, and monthly component to them.
Remember, the only way a planner will work is if you commit to using it consistently. This means you must plan for spending time planning. Carve out a block of time where you know you will not be disrupted and you can dedicate 5, 10, or 20 minutes to the process of mapping out your day, week, month, etc.
I wish you a prosperous 2020. Don’t forget to be compassionate on yourself for all of those times when you fall short of what you had planned. Be flexible. Be resilient. You can do this!
Robin S. Smith
Robin S. Smith, MS, LCMFT is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in clinical practice in Bethesda MD. As an MFT, he specializes in relationship issues for couples, families, and individuals, for improved quality of life. His areas of expertise include: transition to parenthood for new and expecting parents, infidelity, sex and intimacy issues, premarital counseling, and trauma. Robin has given talks to various groups including hospital administrators, graduate students, fellow psychotherapists, and child birth educators. He is the primary contributor to The Couple and Family Clinic Blog.
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