Regular Revisions

Be sure to review your letter at the end of the year before you write the one for the next year. “When you take a look at that letter after a year there is something really special about that moment,” says Simon. “You are talking directly to yourself, saying, ‘This is what I cared about a year ag...

View your letter as a gift. “Use it to push through and say ‘yes’ to something that may feel uncomfortable but that you feel is the right thing to do,” says Simon. “It can be an incredible upward spiral where one thing will lead to another, then all of a sudden you are leading your best life.”

To encourage people to hit the core of their goals and values, Simon suggests taking time to write yourself a letter.

“This is a letter that nobody else will see,” he says. “It’s not about resolutions; it’s about feelings and values, and it comes from your heart. Most people have probably n...

Your letter should talk about the year you want to have ahead. Simon says the letter should answer five questions:

• What are the fears you plan to tackle, those things you believe are holding you back?
• What are adventures you will embrace in the year to ...

Once you write your letter, refer to it over the course of the year. Reading your letter over again will become a key motivator throughout the course of the year. Since it is personal to you, it will remind you what your key values and goals are.

Resolutions are overrated. Here’s a better method to start the New Year off right.

Many of us look back at the year that’s passed and think about the year ahead. While you can make changes at any time, the New Year is the best time to commit to leading your best life. Goals and resolutions, however, can be impersonal, says Scott Simon, author of