Each New Year brings new goals, motivations and aspirations. As 2019 comes to a close, we anxiously welcome the prospects of 2020 and wonder what this year might bring…

Fortunately, 2020 marks a special year, a leap year—366 days and over 5,800 waking hours to be braver, stronger, and more mindful.

We are tasked to not only look forward, set goals and expectations for what’s to come, but also to look back—reflecting on the learning, the success, and the challenges that have shaped us to this point.

This year reminds us that hindsight is 2020.

It reminds us that what we may need this year might not be found in new goals or resolutions—but instead in reflecting and trusting in who we already are—our skills, tools, experiences, and relationships that we’ve formed and honed.

It’s less about starting over, or recreating a “better” version of yourself, and more about seeing your past (all of your past) as vital information for paving the path ahead.

And thus, the familiar adage, hindsight is 2020, reminds us “it’s easy to know the right thing after something has happened, and it’s hard to predict the future.”

So instead of setting blind goals with the chance of falling short—use what you already know and have.

Ask yourself, what have you learned this year? What did you succeed at? What challenged you? And, what happened as a result?

How did you care for yourself? What made you smile? What disappointed you?

You know you best—nothing has to be re-invented. All that’s needed is focus and vision.

So, when pondering the questions above, refrain from judgments about “good” or “bad,” “success” or “failure.” Focus solely on the learning gained, the growth, perspective, and emotional consequences of the experiences that have lead us to 2020.

Start 2020 with a realistic, wholesome perspective. Let the past inform the future for clear vision in 2020.