As we sadly (or, in some cases gladly) bid farewell to all the build-up and excitement of Christmas, we look ahead with hope and anticipation to a new year. New beginnings is a phrase commonly heard as people everywhere set about committing to their New Years resolutions.

Every year, I enjoy watching the television programs with their highlights of the year coming to a close year in review programs. Other forms of media provide great reading, as they reflect in both pictures and words the events of the year.

With all the remembrance of happenings in the news, in life, and around the world, this is a perfect time of year to engage in some personal reflection as well. Some of us are naturally introspective, and derive great pleasure from setting aside time to indulge in this type of activity. Others are not inclined to set aside even one, single quiet moment for such so-called self-indulgence.

Its obvious by my choice of words that I set myself squarely in the camp of those who enjoy this type of meditation. I believe that some intentional review of whats past, and looking forward to what lies ahead, is an extremely beneficial investment of time.

As a personal coach, Ive seen the powerful impact this kind of focused reflection can have on people of all types and temperaments. I encourage my clients to plan some time at years end to review the past year, and look forward to the coming year with intentional direction.

Listed below are 7 key areas to focus on. Set aside some quiet moments alone to give some thought and consideration to how you have evolved, changed, and grown, or quite possibly (and sadly) how you may have regressed in these areas.

Focusing on these 7 areas can serve as a roadmap so that you have a purposeful, productive, and useful outcome from your time alone instead of finding yourself twiddling your thumbs, not knowing where to start, then giving up because it seems like a waste of valuable time.

Here are the 7 areas to think about:

Relational Health

Emotional Health

Physical Health

Social Health

Spiritual Health

Intellectual Health

Financial Health

My clients find it helpful to set aside several different blocks of time to dedicate to this activity. Part of the assignment is to write to journal. The writing part (besides just the thinking part) engages a different part of the brain and serves the purpose of rounding out the entire experience.

The journal creates a written record. In a few months, when life starts to whiz by, pull out your journal and review what you wrote during a quieter, more meditative time. By re-reading what you previously committed to for the coming year, you can get refocused on what youd identified as important.

This personal year-in-review can become as much as part of your holiday tradition for you as tree-trimming, egg nog, Christmas Eve services, and gift-giving.

Here's to making some New Year's Resolutions that will "stick" this year!