I know…it’s an unpopular opinion at this time of year; but have you ever known me to be shy about what I think? 😉
What’s that saying? “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” That’s pretty much how I feel about New Year’s resolutions.
It’s not that I doubt your ability to set goals and achieve them. I know you…you’re a doer. But even doers (especially doers?) bite off more than we can chew sometimes. And when we’re wired to do it all at once, during one particular month of the year, it’s pretty much inevitable that we’ll end up disappointed.
So what’s an ambitious, goal-oriented girl to do? Here are a few things to try.
- Make tiny changes. This one idea is absolutely key…I see it work every single day in my life and in the lives of my clients. Ambitious, sweeping goals that scare you a little bit are important; but when it comes to health goals in particular – whether it’s losing weight, eating more healthfully, beginning an exercise program, or managing stress – working in “baby steps” is the way to get there. What tiny little change can you work on for the next few weeks? What about just adding one serving of dark leafy greens to your diet each day? Or trying to set your fork down between each bite of food? When you’re creating new habits, it’s amazing how much focus it takes, even for the little things. Willpower is a finite resource. When we use it all up on one massive goal, we have very little left over for permanent, long-term change. Don’t get sucked into the “I’m going to stop eating sugar FOREVER” or “I’m going to go to the gym every day for the rest of my life” mindset. (No you’re not…and that’s okay.)
- Create a vision. Stumbling across this little nugget a couple of years ago – when I basically couldn’t get it together to set goals for the year – changed the way I look at annual planning. It may sound hokey, but “visioning” is a powerful way to make stuff happen (much to the surprise of no-nonsense types like me). In addition to taking the pressure off to have all the answers, focusing on a broad vision of what you want leaves you open to unanticipated twists, turns, and really cool things along the way. While I haven’t dug into it 100%, I love the idea of Danielle LaPorte’s Desire Map, focused on directing your life based on how you want to feel every day (i.e., your “core desired feelings”). Think for a minute about what those feelings might be. (Some of mine: Connected. Present. Inspired. Useful.) Just the act of writing them down creates an amazing clarity and helps frame the little choices you make each day.
- Choose your words. This is my new favorite goal-setting technique: Christine Kane’s Word of the Year. (Thanks to Nathalie Lussier for telling me about it.) My words for 2013 are Abundance and Community. Everything else is just details. In the few days since I settled on these words, the actions I need to take – in my life and in my business – are much clearer.
What about you? What have you found helpful in your own goal-setting this month? Share your thoughts in the comments. The best ideas always come from you. 🙂
P.S. Registration is open for the January cycle of my interactive online health coaching program, 6 Weeks to Effortless Eating & Ultimate Self Care! If you’re overwhelmed by all of the conflicting nutrition information out there, feel like your body is holding you back from living the way you want to live, or just want to know how to take better care of yourself without adding 100 things to your to-do list, then this may be the program for you. Get all the details here (+ info on how you can save $50 and get some bonus goodies if you register by Friday, January 11th).
