Three Methods to Make Next Year Your Best Year

ProductivityHow to Make Next Year The Best Year of Your Life

TL;DR

Three practical methods—the Wheel of Life assessment, 12-Month Celebration goal-setting, and the Ideal Week calendar—help you create meaningful progress, maintain life balance, and actually enjoy the journey toward your goals.

Key Takeaways

1The Wheel of Life divides your life into nine areas (body, mind, soul, romance, family, friends, mission, money, growth) and rates alignment on a 0–10 scale to identify imbalances.
2The 12-Month Celebration method asks what you'd celebrate in each area in one year, then distills multiple options into one primary goal with a clear 'why' behind it.
3The Ideal Week method blocks essential time commitments and goal-related activities into a calendar to reveal how much time you actually have and ensure accountability.
4Writing down goals and reviewing them quarterly dramatically increases the likelihood of achieving them compared to keeping them mentally.
5Adding 'while enjoying every step along the way' to goals shifts mindset from grinding toward outcomes to finding joy in the process.
6Making the best year of your life means progressing on what matters, maintaining balance across life domains, and enjoying the present rather than treating it purely as a means to an end.

Notable Quotes

“What does it mean to make a given year the best year of your life? Firstly, it's that we are making progress towards the things that truly matter to us. Secondly, that our life is broadly in balance. And thirdly, that we are while working towards the things that matter to us, we are managing to enjoy ourselves.”
— Speaker

“Productivity is using our time in a way that's intentional and effective and enjoyable.”
— Speaker

“If I had to boil it down to just one thing and I could only celebrate one thing, what would that one thing be? Because generally having a single goal to work towards helps the brain focus.”
— Speaker

“Whenever you set a goal just add a few words to the end of that goal which is while enjoying every step along the way.”
— Speaker

Chapters

1. What Makes a Year Your Best Year

The speaker defines the best year as making progress on meaningful goals, maintaining balance across different life areas, and enjoying the journey itself rather than purely focusing on outcomes.

2. Method 1: The Wheel of Life Assessment

Split life into nine categories (body, mind, soul, romance, family, friends, mission, money, growth) and rate alignment 0–10 in each. Add a joy category to measure overall life satisfaction. Visualize results as a wheel chart to identify areas needing work.

3. Method 2: The 12-Month Celebration Goal-Setting

For each life area, imagine celebrating with a friend in 12 months and ask what you'd celebrate. Generate multiple options, then distill to one primary goal per area. Write goals down with a clear 'why' and review quarterly with a coach or accountability partner.

4. The Ideal Week Method for Time Management

Block off essential commitments (sleep, wake time) and regular goal-related activities on a blank calendar to see actual available time. Adjust goals based on realistic time availability rather than overcommitting to too many objectives.

5. Sponsorship: Trading 212 Investment App

Overview of Trading 212's features: commission-free stock and fund investing, 'Pies' baskets of diversified assets, multicurrency accounts, and daily interest on uninvested cash. Discussed as an example of how the speaker achieves a 9/10 money rating through diversified investing.

6. Goal-Setting Tips and Accountability

Key recommendations include writing goals in a shared document, reviewing quarterly, adding 'while enjoying every step along the way' to reframe mindset, and articulating the 'why' behind each goal to maintain motivation.

Key People & Entities

Eric: CEO coach who reviews quarterly goal progress with the speaker
Dickie Bush: Fellow internet entrepreneur who shared the 'while enjoying every step along the way' goal-framing tip
Trading 212: Commission-free investment app sponsoring the video, featuring stocks, funds, and diversified 'Pies'

Glossary

Wheel of Life: A reflection exercise that divides life into nine categories and rates personal alignment in each on a 0–10 scale to identify imbalances and areas for improvement.
12-Month Celebration: A goal-setting method that asks what you would celebrate in each life area in 12 months, then distills multiple options into one primary, meaningful goal.
Ideal Week: A calendar-blocking technique that maps out essential time commitments and goal-related activities to reveal realistic available time and ensure accountability.
Visceral Adipose Tissue: Fat stored around internal organs in the abdominal area; strongly correlated with cardiovascular disease and other negative health outcomes.
Alignment: The degree to which current actions are consistent with desired long-term outcomes; preferred over 'satisfaction' because it reflects progress-oriented effort.
Pies: Pre-designed or custom baskets of stocks, shares, and funds on Trading 212 that users can invest in as a diversified bundle.

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