So while you're thinking about the past and planning for the future, you might find it useful to consider how your "values" (what you value) have influenced the results you've been getting and what you might want to do different if you want to get different results.

Remember, there are three "levels" of value. Intrinsic, the highest order of value, refers to relationships, intuition and self esteem, Extrinsic value relates to the tangible, functional, concrete and the lowest order of value, Systemic, deals with structure, rules, policies and "shoulds and oughts'.

What we "want" is always influenced by the relative value we place on these three levels of value. You may find that you have never allowed yourself to appreciate or develop your potential in one of these areas or that you so overvalue one area already you may want to explore expanding your capacity in another to achieve greater balance in your life. In any case, you can make things "better".

There are three steps to this "change for the better" process. First, you have to know what you want and give yourself permission to expect that you can have things "better" in your life. Research with thousands of people clearly documents that nearly 90% of the people in our culture limit how good their lives could be out a sense of guilt or lack of deservabilty. And, of course, if one keeps thinking that, they probably won't allow the "better" they want for themselves in the future.

The second step is being really honest with yourself about where you are now. If you're unrealistically hard on yourself, which is true for most people, you may find that making things "better" seems far too difficult a task. And, if you underestimate or minimize the extent to which you get in your own way, you may not invest sufficient energy to make meaningful changes.

And last, you have to start "doing" what it takes to start "getting" what you want. Here's to allowing yourself to have more of what you want in the year ahead.