
Start the New Year with Mindfulness and Planning
With this final update of the year, I want to encourage you to end the year on a positive note and prepare for the year ahead. For me, the annual planning day has been a fixed appointment in my calendar for years.
Here’s what it includes:
- Reflection and Appreciation: Make a list of your achievements and check your goals.
- Pause and Assess: Continue as is, or is it time for a change? What advice would your 85-year-old self give you?
- Recalibrate: What should you keep doing, change, start doing, or stop doing altogether?
- Goals: Recap your mission, revisit your vision, and check whether your goals still align with what brings you satisfaction. Is your goal-setting system still appropriate?
- Set a Motto for the Coming Year.
- Follow Through with Suitable Rituals.
At this point, I also want to emphasize the importance of mindfulness and gratitude as central elements for personal development and overall well-being.
I firmly believe that mindfulness helps us stay present in the moment, enabling us to observe our thoughts and emotions with awareness. Gratitude, on the other hand, fosters a positive mindset, encouraging us to focus on what is going well rather than dwelling on the negative.
Regular mindfulness practices—such as meditation or mindful breathing—help calm the mind and promote clearer thinking. Gratitude exercises, like keeping a gratitude journal, can cultivate a positive outlook and improve overall well-being.
These practices can be especially helpful during stressful times, enabling us to find inner peace and balance.
Outlook
In January, I will launch my new English podcast, “Self-Leadership with Dr. Burkhard Bensmann.” I’ll be happy to keep you updated and look forward to your feedback!
Also in January, I will be offering individual coaching sessions on Lanzarote and, of course, continuing to work on podcasts and other publications. Stay tuned for more!
For now, I wish you a successful conclusion to 2024 and a wonderful start to the New Year!