While you may have set some goals for 2018, you don't think they're really going to happen do you? I mean, really.  The one's you set last year didn't stick either...or did they.

When you set goals for this year it's easy to get hung up on the one's that didn't come true from last year.  Dwelling on this fact for too long can even cause a fair bit of "beatyourselfupedness."  But I can guarantee you that when you look back on last year you will see...something positive.  And probably a lot positive if you give yourself some time.

Rarely do people keep a really good accounting of all that went right in the last year.  Using an app like WinStreak can help you do that.  Or just writing little wins in your calendar can help.  But if you haven't done that it may take you a bit to look back through the year and see all that went right, versus what you missed.

A goal I've had for a long time is to weigh 172 pounds which was what I weighed when I competed in the Olympics.  It's a number that's been in my head for a long time and yet I tend to sabotage myself when I reach 185 pounds.  The most I ever weighed was 208 when I was bobsledding!

So I wrote it down again for this year.  "I am light and alive at 172!" says the goal.  And yet when I wrote it down AGAIN for 2017, it kind of bummed me out.  "Sure, yeah.  You'll make THAT happen."  But as I sat with that thought for a while I realized that what was getting me down was this thought, "Can I lose that much weight?"

By looking back on this past year I realized I CAN lose that weight.  By using the Withings App on my phone and a Smart Scale that I picked up in the Apple store, I could see that earlier this year my weight crept up to 202 lbs!  And today I weigh 187.  That's fifteen pounds!

So I could look back and get bummed and beat myself up and think, "You missed your goal again you idiot."  By looking back I could see that I am fully capable of losing 15 pounds.  I did it before and I can do it again.  And guess what losing fifteen pounds again means...I'd weigh 172!

If this sounds familiar, it's time to have a look at all of the good things that happened last year BEFORE you set the goals for this year.  Doing an annual review of all the good things that happened to you last year is critical to help you create momentum for the year ahead. Some people will tell you that it's not good to look at the past.  "The past is past!" they will say.  But I disagree. By doing a quick review you can make adjustments to move forward.  That's what great athletes do and that's what you can do too.
Create Your WinStreak List For Last Year
I teach my coaching clients to create a WinStreak list for the year.  Ideally, you've been adding wins to your calendar, but if not...here's a list of Trigger Quesetions to help you remember the wins you had this year.

What projects did you finish this past year?
What new projects did you think about to finish this year?
What projects did you complete for others?
What fun events did you go to or create this past year?
What were some of the cool things you did with your family this year?
What were some improvements you made in your home?
What were some cool leisure activities you took part in this past year?
What were some improvements you made in your health?
What were some personal development achievements you made?
What are some new clothes you purchased?
If you have pets...what were some fun things you did with your pet(s) this year?
What were some new things you learned this past year?
What good things happened in any of the relationships you have? Family? Friends? Coworkers?
What else can you think of?

Reduce "Goal Getting Molasses"