There is something exciting about a fresh year.
A blank calendar. New goals. New plans. A chance to reset, refocus, and tell ourselves, This year is going to be different.
But before you start filling a page with everything you want to accomplish in 2027, I want to encourage you to do something first:
Look back.
Not because you need to dwell on everything that went wrong.
Not because you need to measure yourself against a list of goals you wrote twelve months ago.
And definitely not because you need another reason to be hard on yourself.
Look back because 2026 has something to teach you.
We’re Often So Focused on What’s Next That We Forget How Far We’ve Come
Think about where you were at the beginning of 2026.
What were you worried about?
What were you hoping would happen?
What did you think your year would look like?
Now think about everything that happened between then and now.
Some things probably went exactly as planned.
Others may have changed completely.
Maybe you accomplished something you had been working toward for years.
Maybe you changed jobs, changed priorities, started something new, ended something that wasn't working, navigated a difficult season, or simply kept going through circumstances you never expected.
And maybe some of the goals you set for yourself didn't happen.
That's okay too.
Because an unfinished goal doesn't automatically mean you failed.
Sometimes the goal stopped making sense.
Sometimes life changed.
Sometimes something more important needed your attention.
And sometimes you simply learned that what you thought you wanted wasn't actually what you wanted after all.
That's valuable information.
Ask Yourself: What Worked?
Before you start looking for everything you need to improve, identify what actually worked this year.
What habits helped you?
What routines made your days easier?
What boundaries protected your time?
What relationships gave you energy?
What decisions are you glad you made?
What accomplishments are you proud of?
We can move so quickly from one goal to the next that we barely acknowledge what we've already done.
Give yourself a moment to recognize it.
You don't have to immediately turn every accomplishment into another goal.
Sometimes you can simply say:
I did that. And I'm proud of it!
Now Ask: What Didn't Work?
This isn't about criticizing yourself.
It's about paying attention.
Where did you consistently feel overwhelmed?
What kept getting pushed to the bottom of your list?
What commitments took far more from you than they gave back?
Where did you say yes when you wanted to say no?
What goals remained on your list month after month without meaningful progress?
Instead of asking, What's wrong with me?
Ask a more useful question: What was this trying to teach me?
Maybe you didn't need more discipline.
Maybe you needed fewer priorities.
Maybe you didn't need a better productivity system.
Maybe your calendar was simply too full.
Maybe you weren't unmotivated.
Maybe the goal wasn't important enough to you anymore.
Those distinctions matter.
What Do You Want to Leave in 2026?
We spend a lot of time deciding what we're taking into a new year.
But I think there's another question that's just as important:
What aren't you taking with you?
Maybe it's the belief that you have to say yes to everything.
Maybe it's comparing your progress to everyone else's.
Maybe it's filling every open space on your calendar.
Maybe it's believing that rest has to be earned.
Maybe it's a goal you've carried for years simply because you think you're supposed to want it.
You are allowed to enter 2027 lighter.
Then Decide What Deserves to Come With You
Not everything needs to change because the calendar does.
There may be things from 2026 worth protecting.
A morning routine.
A weekly family tradition.
A boundary you finally learned to hold.
A professional habit that made you a better leader.
A friendship you intentionally prioritized.
A commitment to taking better care of yourself.
Progress isn't always about adding something new.
Sometimes it's recognizing what's already working and choosing to continue it.
Before You Plan 2027...
Give yourself permission to sit with the year you've just lived.
Celebrate it.
Learn from it.
Be honest about it.
Then start looking forward.
Because the strongest plans aren't built by pretending the past year didn't happen.
They're built by taking what it taught you and using that information to decide what comes next.
Before asking:
What do I want to accomplish in 2027?
Start with:
What did 2026 teach me about the life I actually want to create?
That answer may shape your goals more than any New Year's resolution ever could.
Put Your Reflection Into Action
Before you begin setting goals for 2027, give yourself the opportunity to reflect on everything 2026 taught you.
The Shape Your 2027 Intentional Goal-Planning Workbook from The Powers Forma includes guided reflection exercises to help you recognize your accomplishments, identify lessons learned, evaluate what worked, and decide what you're ready to leave behind.
With 58 pages of reflection, priority-setting, goal-planning, and action worksheets, it's designed to help you create a more focused, balanced, and intentional year.
Explore the Shape Your 2027 Workbook — $29
You don't need to have 2027 figured out today.
You just need a place to begin.
Start with reflection. Then build from there.
Next in the Shape Your 2027 series: You Don't Need More Goals in 2027 — You Need Clearer Priorities.
