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Happy New Year!

 

Welcome to a New Year! Ringing in the new year can be exciting and daunting all at the same time when thinking about growth. Anyone else feel me? There seems to be just some sort of inner expectation that this year will be better than the last and while that can be motivating and inspiring...it can also be just a wee bit overwhelming. I have not done this great in years past and most certainly I am not perfect at it now but over the years I have learned several techniques on making this less intimidating that I would love to share!

 

 

Well said Zig, well said.

 

I think before looking to the future, it's important to look to the past - not for raking yourself over the coals for the things you didn't accomplish over this past year BUT to reflect on the things you did accomplish! What did you do? Who did you get closer to? What were the places you saw? They can be big things and small things! Write those things down so that you may see and remember all that you did. Maybe even take time to make a photo slideshow or reel of all the highlights of the year!
Take time to REFLECT and be THANKFUL before you do any planning for next year!

 

 

 

Now, that you have an idea of what you did last year and where you came from - take time to pray, meditate, whatever it is that gets you in the right mindset for really focusing in on where you would like to see youself go in this next year.  Then, write down what you want this next year to look like!  What do you want to do, accomplish, see and be a part of in this next year?

 

"Ok cool, but how do I even START?" you might be thinking...I know I have!

 

This can seem super intimidating, but if you can break these desires of your heart down into 5 categories, it can really be achievable.  My husband is a real estate agent and I have tagged along quite a few times to an awesome conference ran by realtor, mentor and motivational speaker Brian Buffini.  Brian teaches this goal setting technique of using five categories to break down your goals.

 

Personal ~ Financial ~ Business ~ Family ~ Spiritual

 

These are the five! Coming up with 3 to 5 goals per category is a great plan. Then from there, you can break those down into actionable steps. For example - you want to lose 15 lbs and gain muscle mass as one of your personal goals...Breaking that goal down further could look like hiring a personal trainer and starting a new program in the new year; cutting out soda and committing to do an at home workout program 5 times a week; eating out less and food prepping on Sundays.  Maybe you have a financial goal to start saving for tithing & giving, travel and home improvement for that home project you've been wanting to do for years...so maybe each paycheck that deposits, go into your bank and take a certain percentage out for each of those categories and transfer into a separate account that sits and builds.  And then, one of your family goals is spending more quality time together and that could break down into - having a game night once a month; scratching off a family Adventure Challenge scratch off every couple of weeks; taking two family trips a year.

 

It can be challenging, if you're like me, to only come up with 3 to 5 goals in each category (as I want to do all the things), but it really does help to stay in this range, making it more achievable. Hey, you can always keep those other ones that aren't as "priority" on the back burner for when you check off those other ones throughout the year! 

 

 

 

 

Another great way to focus in on making the new year GREAT, is by coming up with One Word for your year! Jon Gordon wrote a book called "One Word" that focuses on a single word (or small phrase) that really speaks to you. A word that you feel like you need to work on. We have done this for years now as a family and even come up with a family "One Word". To comemorate our "One Word"s, we have painted canvases with those words. It is always a fun time and a good way to spend some family time together at the beginning of the year.

Check out Jon Gordon's "One Word" here and there is even an Action Plan to help you find your word!

 

 

 

One last little tip I will share, is a goal planning hike or getaway.  My husband for years now has gone on a goal setting hike nearing the end of the year (could easily be done at the beginning of the year). Before the sunrise, he hikes up one of our beautiful mountains in Virginia and gets to the summit to watch the sunrise - basks in the beauty and takes it all in while he focuses on what he's thankful for and takes some time with God. Then, he sets up a hammock and gets to goal setting. There is just something about being outside in nature and in silence to be able to really focus on what you want to achieve. Well, this year I joined him! It was a little sketchy hiking up in the dark, but a lot of fun too...kind of thrilling. The sunrise was GORGEOUS but it was FREEZING!!! We stayed with the plan, set up two hammocks and tried to let the sun warm us up before getting to writing our goals. We just could not warm up and felt like we were not going to be very productive on this adventure. We ended up hiking back down and heading to a restaurant at the bottom of the mountain that had hot coffee and a big window with the sun shining in. It was glorious - different than usual, but much more productive than it would have been in the cold and wind.

A goal planning getaway could look like a morning in the park while the kiddos are at school, or a day trip to a nearby beach to sit on the sand and listen to the natural wave sound machine, or maybe finding a local coffee shop would work for you or if you need a little longer to get the creative juices flowing, book a rental, spend the night and take some time to really reflect and plan.

 

As 2023 begins, I pray that you really take time to reflect on all that you accomplished in 2022 and look forward to this next year!

 

Let's make 2023 MAGNIFICENT!