How to Bring Your Best Self to the New Year With One Valuable Letter

I'm not one for resolutions, but I do believe in reflecting and creating intentions.

Each year, I document these reflections in a letter format, and I’ve kept all of these letters in my AttaGirl folder to look back on. Writing the Letter to Yourself is an opportunity to honor how far you've come and stay focused on who you want to become.

At first glance, some people may find this approach to be a bit idealistic. The fact is: When you want to achieve something at work, you write it down. Whether it’s a strategic plan, KPIs, or even a memo outlining goals—there is power in listing out your intentions. Research shows you’re 42% more likely to to achieve them simply by writing them down!

So, why not apply this thinking to something as important as your own leadership, career, and personal development?

I’ve got prompts to get you started, so you can bring your best self to the new year. In this letter, celebrate your progress, recognize your strengths, and develop goals for your future growth. When you set goals for yourself, you also need to develop a framework on how and when you'll work toward them. This is where One Bold Move A Day comes in!

I encourage you to spend 15 minutes this week to invest in yourself by writing your letter.

Here are the prompts for you:

1. What are three accomplishments from the last year where you can celebrate progress?

2. What are three things you're grateful for?

3. What are three things that make you feel happy or bring you energy? How can you include more of these into your daily routine?

4. What will be your Bold Moves of the new year? How will you incorporate making One Bold Move a Day to achieve your goals?

You can do this exercise with your team, too. At the beginning of each fiscal year, I set aside time for my team to write these letters to themselves. This reflection was just for them; they didn’t have to share it with anyone else at any point. They sealed the letters in envelopes and then I held them in a locked cabinet until the end of the year when we open them together.

After you write your letter, you may decide to seal it in an envelope or keep it open on your desk or closet mirror. Either way, in 12 months, revisit what you wrote. What surprises you? What heartens (or challenges, or motivates) you?

The purpose of the letter is to celebrate how far you've come and remain true to your future aspirations. By documenting what's most important to you and using it to guide you, you set yourself up to advance your career and achieve your goals.

Are you ready to bring your best self to the new year?

*This article was updated on January 1, 2023.