βWe will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Yearβs Day.β β Edith Lovejoy Pierce
Happy New Year. Goodbye 2018 and hello 2019. This is going to be my year!! Sound familiar???
Most everyone I have spoken to since January 1st is excited about what this new year will bring. I know many of my friends had a very difficult year in 2018 for a multitude of reasons and were more than ready to kick it to the curb.
Now, yes I am one of “those” that sets goals and affirmations each year and like most people that do this, I like to reflect on the year that was and review what I actually achieved. I could focus on what I didn’t achieve and get down on myself or I can choose to celebrate my victories. Being honest, I rarely achieve every goal I set myself each year but I am unsure whether it is because my list may be unrealistic or there is not enough pain or gain to keep me motivated. We are all guilty of becoming complacent and just cruising along until the day finally looms where it becomes more difficult to continue rather than change. Whether it is a bad relationship, poor financial / spending choices, unhappy neighborhood or a lousy job, I can certainly identify with this and I use it as my motivation for setting intentions for change and creating new beginnings.
I recommend you keep it simple. I usually set ONE major intention for the year which helps to keep it achievable and sustainable. If we set too many “majors” then we are bound to drop the ball. Of course, there are high achievers out there that can achieve multiple goals but I choose to be a realist. π I then set minor intentions which are easy and doable. For example, I am very disciplined with the exercise regime that I set up 4 years ago. I had always been someone who exercised up until my late forties. “Life” then took over and I did not prioritise myself. I put my business and family commitments ahead of myself. At 50+, for the first time in my life, I was not my ideal weight and had lost all tone in my body. I had bat wing arms and cellulite developing which had a flow-on effect on how I saw myself. It wasn’t until I started to pay attention to how I felt, especially the impact on my health, that I said “enough”. I am grateful to say that I continue to do my regime most days and I reap the benefits from it which keeps me motivated. That was my major intention for that year. I kept it small and then built on it as the year went on which kept it achievable. I have a blog post on the why and how on my website if your interested.
The following year my “major” was to sell my business which I achieved with a pleasing outcome. It was not the $$ amount I had wanted nor did I expect the restraints including being locked in for an additional two years. BUT for that scenario, the positives outweighed the negatives. Again I had reached the point of “enough” and could not picture myself living the same stress or quality of life for another year. The decision was timely and for me an easy one. I set the intention and then put the steps in place. I set time frames for it to happen and because I was so determined and my intention was so strong the universe bought about the opportunities, people and resources to make it happen. I had to do the work and put things in place which wasn’t at all easy. My contract finished over a year ago yet I remain working for them today. So what I saw initially as a negative was negligible in the overall scheme of things.
Other major goals could be to finally travel to that bucket list destination, change jobs, leave a bad relationship, set up a retirement plan or move house. Minor goals could be to simply arrange long overdue medical checks, consolidate your SUPER, change a diet habit, book short weekend breaks or set dates in your calendar for catch ups with close friends.
In 2018, my intention was to change my job role with my current employer. I was happy with the company as I said previously but having been managing clinics and staff for nearly 20 years, it was certainly time for a change. Read my “Time for a change. Check it off ” post on how through a series of circumstances that were presented to me, I achieved it.
I use a program called Microsoft OneNote to record my goals which is free. You can set the main category and then have subcategories outlining what, how and when. For example, I have a “major” tab and then a “minor” tab which I outline my simple goals. You can also upload motivational images and videos to help you stay on track. I have written a post on this if you wish to see what it is all about.
I love that the program is accessible through a web browser from anywhere. I set a decree each year and love to read it every day as part of my meditation routine.
It acts as a reminder of the life I am creating and how grateful I am for the little things each day.
Each new year brings with it renewed hope and opportunities and the chance to learn and grow. I hope you find this helpful and thank you for your lovely uplifting comments and support.
Happy new year π
Cheers
You’re so cool! I do not think I have read anything like that before.
So wonderful to find somebody with some genuine thoughts on this topic.
Seriously.. many thanks for starting this up.
This site is something that is needed on the web, someone with some originality!
It’s appropriate time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy.
I have read this post and if I could I desire to suggest you some interesting things or tips.
Perhaps you could write next articles referring to this article.
I want to read even more things about it!
Hi all, here every person is sharing these kinds of knowledge, so it’s nice to read this
weblog, and I used to pay a quick visit this website every day.
What’s up, just wanted to tell you, I loved this blog post.
It was helpful. Keep on posting!
Keep on writing, great job!
You could definitely see your skills in the work you write.
The arena hopes for even more passionate writers
like you who aren’t afraid to mention how they believe. All the time go after your
heart.
Greate article. Keep writing such kind of info on your site.
Im really impressed by it.
Hello there, You have performed an excellent
job. I will definitely digg it and for my part suggest to my friends.
I’m sure they’ll be benefited from this web site.
I like the helpful information you provide in your articles.
I’ll bookmark your weblog and check again here regularly. I am quite sure I will learn lots of new stuff right here!
Best of luck for the next!
I do not even know the way I finished up
here, but I thought this post was once good. I don’t know who you might be however definitely you are going
to a famous blogger for those who are not already.
Cheers!
Hey there, You have done a great job. I will definitely digg it and personally recommend to my friends.
I’m confident they’ll be benefited from this site.