{"id":11608,"date":"2019-12-31T06:30:48","date_gmt":"2019-12-31T06:30:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hnews.hult.edu\/?p=11608"},"modified":"2026-05-05T15:04:06","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T14:04:06","slug":"new-year-new-me-where-do-i-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hult.edu\/blog\/new-year-new-me-where-do-i-start\/","title":{"rendered":"New year, new me: Where do I start?"},"content":{"rendered":"

We’re entering not just a new year, but a new decade. Many people find this a meaningful time for reflection and renewed goal setting. Have you been thinking about your New Year\u2019s resolutions? Or things you want to change in your life generally? But you’re still not sure what to focus on in 2020? Are you finding it hard to come up with more meaningful resolutions to break away from the conventional ones, like living a healthier lifestyle, or planning to visit a far-away friend? Apparently, you are not the only one facing this challenge.<\/p>\n

I receive many requests from people to help support them with creating meaningful resolutions that they can stick to. A difficult challenge at first, I thought. But later it dawned on me that many of the goals that people focus on are either too far away from the meaningful stuff they do day-to-day or they’re goals generally associated with the New Year’s resolution tradition.<\/p>\n

Forward relevance<\/h3>\n

About 50% of people make New Year’s resolutions. But only 10% of the people who make them have fulfilled their goals by year-end. There are many reasons why people don\u2019t stick to their resolutions\u2014e.g., a lack of commitment, a dip in motivation, lack of resources, or loss of interest. Though this is difficult to solve on an individual basis, there are some great strategies you can use to help you achieve your goals. One specific strategy I want to highlight in this article to help you fulfill your New Year’s resolutions is something I call \u2018forward relevance.\u2019 Forward relevance is a personal strategy of designing meaningful (actionable) goals that help you create your future self, instead of looking at your past self to overcome deficits or break habits.<\/p>\n

The first step in this process is to create relevance. A great way to do this is to: (1) find something you are actively engaged in on a daily basis, (2) identify the latest trends within this activity, and (3) connect these trends to the goals you would like to achieve. This way, forward relevance finds goals that are meaningful for you to achieve and relevant to the year you are doing it in. This, in turn, creates a deeper connection between you and your environment, the people involved in helping you achieve your goals, and the timeframe in which you do it.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/strong>Personal goals + Relevant issues + Others <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\/ <\/strong>Time frame<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0= Forward relevance<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Applying forward relevance to trending events<\/h3>\n

For most of us, work is something we are deeply involved in on a daily basis. So, connecting New Year’s resolutions to the work environment is a great way to make your goals transcend the self. I want to share with you some key workplace trends along with suggestions for related actionable goals (that you’ll hopefully find meaningful.)<\/p>\n

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Continuous education<\/h3>\n

As the rate of change is surpassing the rate of learning, people need to keep up with continuous development and education. Global mobility and technology are radically changing what we learn and how we learn. And, as past results are no longer an indicator of future success, continuous education is your gateway to “lifetime employability” in the 21st century.<\/p>\n

Forward relevance: Create a mindset for continuous education<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Actionable goals<\/h5>\n