Do you find yourself tempted by those self-assessments on the internet? The ones that encourage you to take inventory of your life, your strengths, what’s holding you back, and promise to provide direction?

I am inevitably suckered in by these assessments. I faithfully copy them into Word, and spend hours completing them, getting more and more anxious as I go along, until I question everything I thought I knew about who I am and what makes me tick. Despite their promises, they leave me with no clear sense of direction – indeed, no direction at all – and an overwhelming feeling of inadequacy (I can’t even fill in a self-inventory, what is wrong with me!).

But I still get sucked in. Every. Single. Time.

So, in case you’re like me, and you love these assessments, but they make you crazy, I’m going to share one that hopefully will help you kiss the year goodbye and go forward feeling great.

Here you go:

1. What did you achieve this year that surprised you? How did that come about and why did it surprise you?
2. Who did you meet or reconnect with this year that made a difference in your life? How did you meet or reconnect with them and how did they make a difference?
3. Where did you go this year that you hadn’t been before (or what did you discover this year some place that you’ve been a million times, that you hadn’t noticed before)? What led you to this discovery?
4. What did you try that was new this year? How did that go – would you do it again? If so, why? If not, what new thing would you try next time instead?
5. When you found yourself, this year, facing something that seemed impossible at the time (although it may not now), what was it and how did you get through it?
6. When did you use one of your “weaknesses” as a strength this year? What did you learn from that?
7. Who did you look at with different eyes this year? What did they do that changed your perception?
8. How are you a different person now than you were last year at this time?
9. What three things did you do this year for others, without any extrinsic reward?
10. Name one thing about yourself that you feel really good about. One thing that you wouldn’t be you without and that will always be part of who you are.

Now, go forth and prosper.

Happy New Year, y’all!