The first thing to do is to take stock. Pause a while, reflect on what has been working well. The reason is that we often neglect to celebrate our achievements and we miss the clues they can give us about the future.



If you find that you don't immediately launch into a long list, that it's hard to come up with anything specific, ask yourself: 'what you would really miss in the future that you have had in the previous 12 months?'

The second thing to do, before you set any goals, is to get clear about your strengths. Here we're talking about your natural talents, those instinctive abilities where you excel.

The reason for really knowing your strengths is that you are at your best when you are using them. This is good news for your relationships, your productivity and your enjoyment. When you are using your natural talents, you are being the real you.

When you see all these benefits that flow from using your strengths, it seems obvious that it's a good idea to factor them into your plans for the future.

So how do you know what your strengths are? Two-thirds of the population has little idea. The other third has some sense of them, but it is often only partial.

OK, you may have had feedback from your boss and colleagues. This is useful but it can be rather patchy and not as frequent as you would like. And it can't touch on strengths you have that, for whatever reason, are not demonstrated at work.

You may have taken a psychometric test or two. Some of these tests can be illuminating but they can't cover the whole of you. They can only assess what they have been designed to assess.

You can get a more complete picture of your natural talents. Research shows that when someone is using their strengths, they are energised and invigorated. They are good at what they are doing and they get much satisfaction from it.

Therefore, you can look for these clues when you take stock. Here's some questions to get you started:

- What makes a really good day? What is the best day that you can remember?

- What are you doing when you are at your best?

- What gives you the greatest sense of being who you really are?

- What sorts of activities do you gain the most energy from?

- What are you most looking forward to?

- During this coming week, what will you be doing when you are at your best?

Look in your answers for your natural strengths. When you get to setting goals for the months ahead, you can make sure you take them into account. Then you can expect the rewards of more energy, success and satisfaction.