The transition from one year to another is a good prompt for reviewing goals and plans for the year past and setting objectives for the year ahead.

Yes, I know years are arbitrary measurings of time. What difference, really, between December 31 of one annum and January 1 of another?

Nevertheless, without a prompt, would anything ever happen?

So I've spent December musing over how I tracked against my goals for 2012 and thinking through what I want in 2013—and in life in general. It's a good process. A thoughtful process.

As much as I did manage to accomplish, I didn't achieve everything I set out to achieve in 2012.

In more than one case, heading for one goal showed me another, preferable objective that I wouldn't have found otherwise.

Life is a journey. The surprises along the way make it all worthwhile.

In other cases, I didn't quite hit stretch targets. My accountability partner will say, "Why not?" As long as the goal is realistic, I should be able to achieve it if I throw my full force in its direction. So yes: Why didn't I reach it? Did I really want it, after all, or did something else bring me to think I wanted it? And if I did really want it, what held me back?

For 2013, I've changed my focus a little, based on what I've learned about myself and what I want out of life through a hindsight review of 2012.

In addition to some aggressive business goals—mainly focused on continued revenue and team growth—I intend to

• continue to build my life on pillars of integrity, peace, and empathy;

• further strengthen valued relationships and build new ones;

• keep writing; and

• increase my comfort in my own skin.

This is the nutshell version. The goals document itself is a solid three pages. Single spaced.

How about you? What would you like for 2013?