It’s time to let go of last year. That was then. This is now. This is the next chapter.

But before you turn the page, reflect for a few minutes on what went well last year.

What did you do that had a positive outcome? Which projects bore fruit? Which habits, mindsets, strategies, and methods helped you make progress?

Go through your notes, your calendar, or your journal. Meditate or free-write or just have a good think and find a nugget or two that belongs in the “win” column for last year, so that this year, you can do it again (or something like it).

While you’re at it, also note what didn’t work.

It may be a marketing strategy that flopped or a bad habit that didn’t serve you, like staying up late, not exercising, or spending too much time reading the news.

Identify what didn’t work, so you can stop doing it or do it less often.

Finally, ask yourself what you can do differently this year. Besides doing more of what worked and less of what didn’t, what could you change about the way you do the things you do?

How could you do them better or faster? How could you make them easier, more enjoyable, or less stressful? What could you change that might help you earn more, work less, or both?

You might want to enlist the aid of your employees to help you brainstorm ideas. They may see things you can’t see about yourself or your practice. They might offer some game-changing ideas.

Good or bad, last year’s story has been told. But before you put that book back on the shelf, do a quick re-read and find the lessons you can use to provide a happy ending to this year’s story.

How to make this year your biggest year