Happy New Year! With each turn around the sun comes the perfect time to reflect and reset. Reflection leads to clarity and clarity leads to action. Action will lead to a year that’s filled with promise, inspiration, and joy. 2024 is your clean slate—like a brand new journal—to decide the story you want to write.

To start this new year off right, here are 4 exercises—straight from my journal, Reflect and Reset—to help you reflect and reset:

Reflect. Look back at your 2023 calendar and highlight the meetings, conversations, or gatherings that bring a smile to your face. List them out. For each experience, bring to mind all the reasons why it lit you up. Was it the people you were with? The positive impact of your actions? Was it the topic you were discussing, the problem you were solving, or the skills you were using? 

Being mindful of what brings us joy allows us to be more intentional about where we place our energy, and honest self-reflection will open doors that you never knew existed.

Envision. Imagine that four hours magically appeared on your calendar and that you could use this time to go deeper into something you’ve been curious about. Maybe it’s a new business opportunity, a side hustle, or a creative project. What would you use this time to explore? Make a list and then choose one to start with. Now we just need to create the time on your calendar to do this exploring—enter Exercise #3.

Create a To-Don’t List. You have my permission to purge your to-do list of any tasks that no longer serve you. A few questions to help you decide what can go on your To-Don’t List:

• Is this aligned with my life or work priorities?

• Is it the highest and best use of my time?

• Does this bring me joy?

Actively choosing to de-prioritize tasks creates time and space for what really matters.

Start a Smile File. A smile file is basically a success scrapbook (it can be in any format!) and is a wonderful practice to begin as you enter 2024. This is where you will include everything from achieving a big milestone at work to receiving positive feedback from someone you admire. Whether it’s hitting a business KPI or being proud of the way you showed up for someone you care about, include it here. Remember, no win is too small. Anytime you need a confidence boost, return to these pages to be reminded of how capable and amazing you are.

My new journal includes all of these exercises and a bonus coloring section to help you tackle 2024 with clarity, intention, and confidence! As you reflect on the things that make you happiest, you’ll find more ways to prioritize them in the new year. This reset may be the inspiration to create your happiest year yet.