By now, most of us know that New Year’s resolutions rarely, if ever, work . And yet, year after year, we’re compelled to try for a fresh start in some way, and aim to achieve our most aspirational goals. It’s a good impulse, I think, and one that should be continued. But instead of the endless loop-the-loop style of traditional resolutions, I believe there is a better way forward of identifying and achieving goals that are easier to stick to, and will make you truly happy. It’s what I refer to as a personal review.Much like the annual reviews you might do at work, this one requires some soul-searching about your strengths and weaknesses, some dot connecting about the things you need to do to improve, and concrete tasks that will help motivate you to make a real change. It may sound a little bit harder than tossing off an arbitrary resolution to lose weight — and it is, in some ways — but the effects it will have on your life and the changes you make will be lasting.And the best part is, you can do it at any point of the year, and as many times as you want. I do mine in mid-December to prepare for the upcoming year, but it can be done quarterly, or at any point you feel you need a reboot, really.Convinced? Ready to try it out? Let’s get started on your annual personal review.