The dawn of a new year always has me thinking about goals and dreams and purpose. And that brings to mind four questions that I use to help guide me in thinking about my life for the next year: 

Who are you? 

What do you want? 

Why are you here? 

Where are you going? 

These four questions are from the classic science-fiction TV show Babylon 5. These questions, and the characters’ answers to them, are a strong thematic element throughout the series. And like any good piece of fiction, this sci-fi story can point to real life in a very impactful way.

So ask yourself, just as I do:  

Who are you? Not your name or your profession, but who you really are at your core, deep in your soul. What do you know about yourself? What would like to learn more about yourself? 

What do you want? What do you want to accomplish this year? What are your goals, dreams, plans, and hopes? Can you create an action plan to make them come true? 

Why are you here? This question is sort of a combination of the first two. Do you know who you are inside and what your true purpose in life is? What can you do this year to grow yourself and discover your purpose? 

Where are you going? Look at your goals and dreams in a long-term view. It’s important to have daily or monthly action steps to accomplish a goal, but what do you want your life to like not just at the end of this year, but the end of next year? Where do you hope to be in life a decade from now? What can do you right now to point yourself in the right direction? 

By mid-January, a lot of people have already given up on their new year’s resolutions and goals. But really, the year has just begun. Perhaps these questions can help you look at your goals and dreams in a new way, and get your life back on track to where you want it to be. 

Happy new year!