Opportunities and challenges will present themselves in the year ahead. This means that right now is the best time to prepare yourself with a thorough understanding of your past performance, present capability, and risk exposure. The twelve steps below can help guide your checkup and make the process easier.

Step 1: For each defined goal or objective, grade the results achieved from your yearlong effort using the simple alphabet grading system shared above. Record your grade.

Step 2: For each of the twelve keys to a long and fruitful life, ask yourself some important (and sometimes difficult) questions. Refer to the twelve-monthly keys as necessary to ask the questions most pertinent to yourself. Jot down the answers to your questions.

Step 3: For each of the behavioral changes you specifically targeted for each of the twelve key areas, grade your effort using the simple alphabet grading scale shared above. Record your grade.

Step 4:  Summarize your performance results. How many of each grade did you receive (i.e., How many A’s, B’s, C’s, etc.)? 

Step 5: Analyze the underlying causes or reasons for your successes.

Step 6: Analyze the underlying causes or reasons for your failures.

Step 7: Celebrate your successes.

Step 8: Acknowledge your failures.

Step 9: Identify next year’s potential opportunities. Review the best practices in LBLY’s Key #2 thru 10 to aid you in this exercise.

Step 10: Identify next year’s potential challenges. Use the guidance in LBLY’s Key #11, Create Peace of Mind by Managing Risk, to aid you in this exercise.

Step 11: Set aside this assessment effort and take some time to reflect. Perhaps use the end-of-year holiday period to ponder your assessment results, restore your energy, renew your commitment, and consider the next steps.  

Step 12: Use the completed assessment to inform your plan for the coming year. Refer to LBLY’s Key #1 Plan to Have a Great Year to guide your planning effort.