Kimberly Flores: New Year, Clear Focus: How Reflection Can Transform your Goals

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” – Stephen Covey

By the time this article has been published, 23% of readers will have already abandoned their New Year’s resolutions. By the end of January, that number will almost double to 43%. Now, I’m not going to lie, I’m one of the overachievers who still loves to set lofty goals for myself for the upcoming year, however, I’ve given up on the idea of “resolutions.” 

For the last couple of years, I’ve chosen a word that I want to encompass the focus and intention I want to bring into the new year. It serves as a guiding principle — a North Star, if you will — that shapes my decisions, commitments and how I spend my time. Examples of such words include “Ignite,” “Grow,” “Alignment” and “Deepening.” This year, I think I’ve landed on the word “Energy.”

But here’s the thing: A word alone isn’t enough. I believe before one can look forward, one has to look back. And one of the most powerful yet often overlooked ways to reflect on where you’ve been and set sights on where you want to go is through a calendar audit. 

Why Audit Your Calendar?

Your schedule is a window into your priorities, whether intentional or not, and can reveal whether you’re truly living your values. By looking back at how you spent your time, you can see if your actions aligned with your intentions. It’s an honest check-in with yourself — one that reveals where you might have gotten off track and, more importantly, where you can course-correct for the year ahead.

How to Conduct a Calendar Audit

• Gather Your Tools
  • Pull out your calendar (digital or paper), so you can review the past 12 months.
  • If you’re a fan of analog, no judgement, pull out some colored markers or highlighters.
• Highlight Alignment with Values
  • With your “North Star” in mind, write down your core values or priority buckets — perhaps family, health, creativity, community and personal growth.
  • Personally, I like to associate each bucket with a color. This helps make it easier to see which buckets got most of your attention the previous year.
• Ask Reflective Questions
  • Compare this list to your calendar and begin asking yourself the following questions:
    • How much time did I spend on each category?
    • What activities brought me joy and fulfillment?
    • Which commitments felt like obligations that drained my energy?
    • Were there missed opportunities to invest in things I value?
• Spot Patterns
  • Look for patterns in how you spent your time:
    • Did you say “yes” to too many things out of guilt or obligation?
    • Were you intentional about downtime or self-care?
    • Did work consistently crowd out family time?

Set Intentions for 2025

Once you’ve reviewed the past year, use your insights to plan ahead.

• What to Keep
  • Identify the activities that brought you the most fulfillment and joy.
• What to Change
  • Pinpoint areas where you want to shift focus. For instance, if you value self-care but didn’t schedule time for massages, lunch with friends or exercise (or whatever self-care looks like to you), commit to scheduling these dates like appointments.
• What to Let Go
  • Release commitments and habits that don’t align with your values.

EXTRA CREDIT: Pair Calendar Audit with a Financial Audit

If your calendar shows how you spend your time, your bank account shows how you spend your money — and both reveal what you truly prioritize. While it’s easy to say we value family, health or personal growth, our spending habits often tell a more honest story. Reviewing your financial activity from the past year can offer powerful insights into how well your actions align with your values.

Here are a few questions to guide your reflection:

• Did I spend money on things that align with my values? Take note of purchases that reflect your core beliefs. For example, if sustainability is important to you, did you support eco-friendly businesses or choose products with a lower environmental impact?
• How much did I invest in experiences versus material items? Research shows that people tend to find greater happiness from experiences rather than possessions. Look at your spending and assess how much went toward experiences like trips, meals with friends or learning opportunities versus material items that may have lost their luster.
• Are there areas where I spent out of habit rather than intention? It’s easy to fall into ‘autopilot spending’ — like automatically saying ‘yes’ to subscriptions you no longer use or making impulse purchases. Identifying these patterns can help you become more intentional with your money moving forward.

Together, your calendar and financial habits form a comprehensive picture of your priorities. Living a values-aligned life doesn’t happen by accident — it requires reflection and intentional action. By auditing your calendar and bank account, you’ll gain clarity on what matters most and set the foundation for a more fulfilling year ahead. 

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*Any reference obtained from this blog to a specific initiative, issue or topic does not constitute or imply an endorsement by the Salt Lake Chamber. The views and opinions expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect those of the Salt Lake Chamber.