As 2017 moves into the rearview window, this week's podcast is all about setting up some new goals and ideas for 2018. One of the first steps to having a great new year is to take the time to look back into the accomplishments of 2017. If you spend some time thinking about where you were at the beginning of the year and how much you accomplished over the course of 2017, you might be surprised at how much you achieved. Often, we find ourselves spending too much time thinking about how much is still in front of us, but we get a shot of energy and confidence when we take the time to appreciate what we have learned and how much we have grown. 

I also think it is a great time to spend getting some goals set up for the coming year. I like to have a set of both soft and hard goals. Hard goals have a definitive date attached to when I want them done. Soft goals are goals that support those hard goals but are not defined in the process by date. Knowing that I have a chance to develop my skills at a reasonable pace, while still getting my more significant projects done is a rewarding experience throughout the year. Also, I have learned that by limiting my larger hard goals to just a few subjects or ideas allows me to dive deep into the process and feel like I got a chance to learn what I wanted to accomplish in a more meaningful way.