A
new
year
means
fresh
starts,
new
goals,
and
new
objectives,
personally
and
professionally.
As
you
reflect
on
the
past
year,
you
might
have
already
made
a
list
of
ways
you
intend
to
drive
your
personal
growth
over
the
next
12
months.
Stepping
into
your
greatest
personal
and
professional
self
is
about
self-reflection,
self-improvement,
mindset
mastery,
and
re-alignment.
It’s
also
about
shedding
the
habits,
people,
and
things
that
no
longer
align.
Here
are
some
strategies
to
help
you
get
started
and
put
the
wheels
into
motion.
Determining
What
You
Want
A
key
process
of
self-discovery
is
aligning
your
goals
and
objectives
with
what
matters
most
to
you.
It’s
important
to
determine
what
you
want,
but
also
need.
You
must
be
radically
honest
when
asking
yourself,
“Where
do
I
want
to
go
and
what
do
I
need
to
get
there?”
When
I
first
meet
with
a
client,
I
ask
the
question,
“What
are
you
looking
to
get
out
of
that
next
chapter
of
your
career?”
I
then
ask
what
they
need
personally
in
that
next
chapter
to
become
the
best
version
of
themselves.
The
personal
piece
is
the
hardest
for
many
to
answer
as
mental,
physical,
and
emotional
needs
can
affect
our
professional
direction.
The
answer
will
change
during
different
decades
and
seasons
of
one’s
life.
In
one
season,
you
might
coast
through
your
work
day-to-day.
In
another,
you’ll
realize
you
want
and
need
more
from
your
career,
which
puts
you
in
a
place
of
feeling
stagnant
or
uninspired.
And,
maybe
in
the
next
season,
you’ll
experience
an
identity
shift
from
what
you
need
personally
in
your
life
or
a
new
way
of
operating
–
perhaps
a
deeper
focus
on
family
time,
travel,
or
health.
Like
many
of
my
executive
clients,
reaching
the
pinnacle
of
success
in
your
career
(whether
as
a
general
counsel,
law
firm
partner,
or
C-suite
executive)
is
often
matched
with
the
statement,
“Okay,
but
now
what?
What’s
next
for
me?”
If
you’re
feeling
stuck,
here
are
some
questions
that
can
help
you
identify
some
blind
spots
and
remove
those
roadblocks:
-
Does
your
work
align
with
your
current
values? -
What’s
hindering
you
from
beginning
that
next
chapter?
Is
it
fear
or
comfort
that’s
driving
you? -
Do
you
feel
challenged
more
than
you
feel
depleted? -
What
do
you
want
to
be
in
the
next
year?
Three
years?
Five
years?
Ten
years? -
What
does
that
next
level
actually
require
of
you?
Developing
Clear
Boundaries
Success
requires
diligence
in
setting
boundaries
to
prevent
derailment
from
your
goals.
As
a
personal
example,
my
own
health
has
undertaken
a
major
transformation
over
these
past
five
(5)
years.
After
working
100-plus
hour
weeks
consistently
for
decades,
I
hit
a
rock-bottom
moment
in
my
physical
and
mental
health
at
the
end
of
2021.
If
the
pandemic
taught
us
anything,
it’s
that
shifts
and
pivots
happen
when
we
least
expect
it,
but
it’s
how
we
move
through
crisis
and
change
that
really
defines
us.
For
me,
that
change
was
overcoming
burnout,
tending
to
my
own
self-care,
and
being
consistent
with
my
health
needs.
I
made
a
lot
of
excuses
about
my
workload
taking
priority.
I
was
excelling
in
my
business
and
professionally
at
extraordinary
levels.
To
my
detriment,
it
resulted
in
putting
my
own
needs
on
the
backburner
—
frequently
canceled
or
postponed
doctors’
appointments,
forgetfulness
in
taking
my
thyroid
medication,
losing
hair,
not
sleeping
properly,
and
the
list
goes
on.
At
the
beginning
of
2022,
I
remember
watching
a
playback
of
a
presentation
I
did,
and
realized
I
didn’t
look
well
at
all
—
my
eye
was
twitching
uncontrollably,
and
I
could
see
the
inflammation
and
puffiness
in
my
face.
It
was
clear
I
was
compromising
my
health
and
needed
to
act
immediately.
While
it’s
great
to
be
booked
and
busy,
you
can’t
continue
working
at
that
pace
and
maintain
consistently
good
levels
of
energy
and
overall
health.
I
share
this
personal
anecdote
with
my
clients
quite
often
because
being
a
high-performer
and
high-achiever
comes
with
immense
self-discipline
and
drive,
as
well
as
deep
precision
and
execution.
We
bring
a
relentless
desire
to
be
1%
better
daily,
But
it
also
brings
a
downside
—
an
inability
to
turn
off
your
brain,
plaguing
anxiety
over
not
doing
enough,
fear
of
failure,
and
the
pressure
to
always
“be
on.”
Unchecked
overperformance
erodes
our
presence
and
clear
decision-making.
Tend
To
Your
Own
Self-Care
I
often
ask
my
clients
what
they’re
doing
to
be
their
personal
best
in
terms
of
self-care.
It’s
something
that
catches
them
off-guard
because
they
expect
my
questions
to
be
career-centric.
When
you’re
on
an
airplane,
the
airline
steward
always
says,
“Put
your
mask
on
first.”
There’s
a
reason
for
that.
Before
you
can
care
for
anyone
else
or
anything
else,
you
have
to
tend
to
your
own
self-care.
It’s
about
being
strategically
responsible
as
the
leader
of
your
own
life.
In
my
20s,
30s,
and
early
40s,
I
was
able
to
traverse
across
my
days,
weeks,
and
months
with
very
little
sleep.
Now,
in
my
late
40s,
I’ve
got
a
stringent
schedule
and
routine
I
stick
to
with
very
little
derailment,
along
with
a
structured
exercise
regimen.
My
body
craves
that
rest,
but
it
also
needs
good
nutrition
and
daily
movement
to
function
optimally.
Daily
walks
(I’m
a
big
proponent
of
10,000
steps
a
day)
help
me
to
clear
my
mind,
decompress
from
the
cerebral
parts
of
my
workday,
and
create
that
necessary
self-care.
My
2022
wake-up
call
was
much-needed,
and
I’ve
since
reaped
the
benefits
of
it
physically,
mentally,
and
emotionally.
If
you’re
teetering
on
your
own
version
of
burnout
due
to
a
diminished
focus
on
your
health,
I
hope
this
article
inspires
you
to
act
(and
reach
out
if
you
need
some
motivational
tips!).
In
this
new
year,
be
sure
to
develop
a
framework
that’s
not
only
realistic
and
practical,
but
also
action-driven
and
focused
on
the
tools
needed
to
achieve
those
goals.
Remember,
your
greatest
personal
and
professional
self
is
achieved
by
doing
what
aligns
with
your
own
value
system
and
needs.
Wendi
Weiner
is
an attorney,
career
expert,
and
founder
of The
Writing
Guru,
an
award-winning
executive
resume
writing
services
company.
Wendi creates
powerful
career
and
personal
brands
for
attorneys,
executives,
and
C-suite/Board
leaders
for
their
job
search
and
digital
footprint. She
also
writes
for
major
publications
about
alternative
careers
for
lawyers, personal
branding,
LinkedIn
storytelling,
career
strategy,
and
the
job
search
process. You
can
reach
her
by
email
at [email protected],
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn,
and
follow
her
on
Twitter @thewritingguru.