Summary: Hopefully 2015 was one of your best years ever, and having 2016 eclipse it almost seems impossible. But we can always work at making our lives better. So, here are the 4 ways that we can all make this year better than last year:<br> <br> Look at the opposite.<br> In the midst of similarities, the best approach is to look for the opposites. I had a great year, so the question I will be asking myself is, “What didn’t go so well last year?” If your year wasn’t so great, begin by asking yourself, “What went great last year?” It’s okay to have a bad year. I’ve had plenty of them. The priority in times that could have gone much better is to keep moving and use what you’ve learned along the way to accomplish more in life.<br> Stop letting things get in your way, but be realistic.<br> Focus is what will get you and me both to our dreams. When your focus isn’t where it should be, then it is much more difficult to accomplish your goals. To do this, categorize tasks for each goal into one of these four categories: urgent, important, less important, and unimportant. In doing this, your goals will be much more manageable, and you’ll make sure to complete everything you need to do. This exercise also helps you connect the dots between your goals. Can you be more efficient and complete a few of the necessary action steps for your goals in the same sitting? If so, you might as well work smarter, not harder.<br> On another note, I didn’t do as well with my exercise goals as I wanted to in 2015. I had a goal to run a marathon, but the necessary training never happened. The reason that it never happened is that I had other huge goals that I wanted to accomplish in 2015, and I put those first. If I were to do everything that I had planned on doing in 2015, I would have probably slept three hours a night, and I’m a mess with no sleep. The issue wasn’t the amount of work that I was putting in, but the issue was that I wasn’t being realistic with my goals. So instead of beating myself up this year for not completing everything that I plan, I’m going to be more realistic with my goals for 2016.<br> Be more aware of the needs of others.<br> Some people are more naturally wired to be aware of needs than others, but the important thing to realize is that we can all be more aware than we currently are. Even though being aware of the needs of others helps better relationships outside of work, this year I will be looking for even more ways to implement this principle in business, as I believe this is the foundation for building a business to become bigger and better. If you’re also looking to better your business this year, you should ask yourself, “How can I be more aware of the needs of others?” You will always need to focus on how you can become better before you will get bigger.<br> Never lose sight of why you do what you do.<br> I’ve lost sight of my why before, and the results were awful. The terrible thing is that it happens to so many people. When you don’t know your why, your passion for life is lost, and a life without passion is a life with little hope. Your why wakes you up in the morning, your why increases your determination, and your why helps you find your way. Don’t let this year end without catching your why.<br> You can use these four keys to make this year better than last year. Now, go and live a better life, today.<br>
