Media

The beginning of the year is a natural time for reflection. 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 Scare Your Soul: 7 Powerful Principles to Harness Fear and Lead Your Most Courageous Life.

“A study from 2016 indicated that only 9% of people feel that their New Year’s resolutions were successful at the end of the year,” he says. “People are left feeling like they didn’t hit the mark.”

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 never taken the opportunity to write a letter to themselves, but when you do it, magical things start to happen. You start to lead your life according to your own set of goals and wishes that that come from within.”