There’s one more week in January. How are your resolutions going?
I stopped making resolutions a few years ago because they are a trap. You aim high, you aspire to be better, then when life happens and you stumble, you’re a failure and might as well give up.
Well, that’s how it went for me.
After years of rolling my eyes at resolutions (you can’t fail if you never try!), I heard about choosing a single word for the year. A theme or focus, not a goal. Worth a shot, right?
I LOVE it. This is my 4th year doing so. Here’s what I came up with.
My word is my compass. I ask myself how I can engage in all areas of my life, then set goals or identify baby steps from there. But where to start?
How I Set My Goals
It’s easy to beat yourself up for not being where you want to be when setting goals. That often leads to overreaching (No dessert EVER again! All salads all the time! Workout every day!) which sets us up to fail.
Instead, I start by establishing a baseline of where I am right now. Not where I “should” be, not where I want to be, but where I am.
The Circle of Life chart is a tool I use personally and with my clients. If your life looks like a flat tire, you’re not failing, you’re simply identifying an area that needs some attention.
Once you look at the facets of your life that could use a boost, you can use your word to brainstorm ideas for improvement.
A few examples from how I use these together.
- Finances – engage more in the process by having a set day/time to do household payments, and do business receipts weekly instead of “whenever the pile falls over.”
- Relationships – avoid coasting, engage my husband in scheduled dates, send non-household-related texts a few times each week
- Creativity – challenge myself to find ways to feel expressed including my 365 Project on Instagram
- Home Cooking – meal plan for myself (not just clients) so I am cooking more, plus find ways to involve my toddler
- Social Life – reach out and plan more play dates ahead of time, and host or attend at least one Mom’s Night Out/In each month
Do you have a word or resolutions for the year? How do you set and track your goals and progress?
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I am VERY thankful I receive your emails….I read thru most of them..others I save and try and go back to them when I have time…which is not often honestly. So thank you for continuing to send out emails…I DO read them..just don’t always respond.