Reflect, let go, set goals: putting intention into the direction we take in 2019
I was really on the fence about doing a “new yearsy” blog post since it seems really cliché. But in all honesty, I do actually use this time of year to reflect on the last year and to spend some time thinking about where I am heading. I’m not all about this new year, new me business, or committing to some unrealistic resolutions that set me up for failure. But having some intention on where I am heading….that I can get on board with. Sometimes without intention we end up somewhere we don’t want to be. We wake up one morning thinking, “how the heck did I get here?” We start thinking about the dreams we had when we were younger, how the years have flown by, and…..is this it?!?! If we don’t pay attention, we end up on the hamster wheel of life and realize we haven’t really gone anywhere and certainly are not where we want to be.
Of course life has an interesting way of throwing kinks into the best laid plans. Sometimes our life circumstances are such that we are just trying to survive every day and if that is you, getting through each day really is good enough. What I am talking about is trying to steer your life in a direction while working with your current circumstances. Below are six steps to help in that process.
First we REFLECT: In order to know where we are going we must first reflect on where we have been. What themes showed up for us over the past year? What went well? What was painful? What lessons did we learn? What changes were made?
Second we HONOR and LET GO: Try to find some gratitude for being alive over this last year and for the lessons we learned….even if they were painful. Remember the saying, “no mud, no lotus.” Through difficulties and hardships we can grow….they don’t call them growing pains for nothing. Maybe consider doing something to symbolize letting go of this past year and clearing the slate for the upcoming year. Perhaps a reflection prayer, or journaling goodbye to 2018.
Third we BRAINSTORM: Based on where you are now and what you learned from reflecting on what happened last year, what do you want to work on over this next year? Think about the different areas of your life: your job, family, friends, fun – where do you want to go in these areas? Now don’t go limiting yourself just yet….we are just brainstorming here so whatever shows up in your mind and heart, write it down.
Fourth we DEVELOP GOALS: For the different areas of your life, write down at least one goal that you want to work on over the next year based on your brainstorming ideas. For the purpose of my article the goal is going to be the broad umbrella and under that umbrella we will create more specific, measurable action steps. For example, a goal of mine is to connect more with my family which is pretty broad and vague.
Fifth we create ACTION STEPS: Action steps are the path I will take to achieve my goal. Break down action steps until they don’t feel overwhelming. For my goal of connecting with my family, my action steps might be:
- Call my sister at least once per month
- Text my nephews at least 2 times a month
- Have dinner with my in-laws at least 2 times per month
Lastly, REFLECT again. As the year goes on, check back on the goals you made for yourself and see how things are going. Do the goals need to be adjusted? Do we need to refocus on doing the action steps? With increased intention, we have some ability to influence where we are headed on our life journey.
If you would like more detailed help related to reflecting, letting go, and goal setting, I LOVE My Shining Year books by Leonie Dawson. She has books available for both personal life and business life.
Also, this manifestation meditation by Melissa Ambrosini can be interesting to do to see what shows up to help you in the goal setting process, and to help you stay focused on where you want to head in life.
May you all have a prosperous, peaceful year filled with love and compassion!
~Jodi