Now that the dust of holiday chaos has finally settled, I got some time to really process my goals for the upcoming year, and figure out the habits I want to break up with or new ones I'd like to develop. 2024 is an "eight" ∞ year in numerology, ruled by Saturn, who's key traits are perseverance and ambition. So this year is all about building, doing, CREATING! If that doesn't get your engines revving, you may need a tad more caffeine today lol But, I'm already calling it, 2024 is MY YEAR!
There are a million ways to go about building habits and goal setting, but before you can really follow through with a habit or goal, you have to understand what would be getting in your way. Have you ever asked yourself WHY you can't sustain new habits and accomplish your goals? Somewhere along the way, typically as children, we give up on a goal or quit when it gets hard, and we allow our brains to feel ok with giving in. So, as with anything, the next time something gets hard, we default back to giving up, and that now becomes a difficult pattern to break within our minds. I have been working on my beliefs, thoughts, etc. with my coach for some time now, and it wasn't until she broke down subconscious beliefs vs. conscious goals, and the conflict happening within our minds that I truly started deep diving into and picking apart my beliefs, and I am FINALLY having some break throughs. I wanted to share her podcast episode with all of you, where she takes a deeper dive into why our resolutions don't stick, and she shares the knowledge she has gained through various trainings and coaching. And P.S. you can find her on IG here if you are in need of life or biz coaching ;)
So, aside from the standard Vision Board-ing, what else is out there?
The first, and most important thing you must address in order to achieve any goals or "resolutions" is that you have to fix your mindset, ESPECIALLY if you are one of the many people that "never follows through". One of the easiest ways I work on my mindset, is by recording myself on my camera app, and playing it daily. Originally I had written my affirmations in my notebook, but it was a hassle to pull out my notebook every day and read them to myself. So now I just play them as I walk the dog in the morning or while I am driving to work. I also have it readily available if I am spiraling and need to regain control of my thoughts.
The second change I made for my goal setting is to use words rather than images. This year I chose a BIG WORD; Renaissance, which means rebirth, and then I have 4 smaller words for each quarter of the year based on how life ebbs and flows during those quarters. I feel like focusing on one shift at a time for 3-4 months is more manageable than an entire board full of ideas, images and inspiration. I try to think about words that reflect very specific areas in my life I would like to improve on, and what would have the biggest impact on other areas of my life asa result of that shift. For example, words like play or laughter, would help me move out of the constant stress and tension of life by being more intentional about finding joy, which will result in improved mental health, allow more space for creativity, and likely make me more enjoyable to be around.
Another method of goal setting is to use a brain dump of what you WANT to be/have by the end of the year, and then breaking them up into smaller, more manageable tasks to move you forward towards your goals. I have modified this technique for weeks when I have a lot of things to accomplish, and feel so overwhelmed and anxious that I can't get started. Personally, I write out my brain dump, and then start with three categories: Top Three, Next Three, and Easy Three, which helps me chunk my tasks or goals in to something smaller that I can cross off, and feel like I am making progress. I list everything out on the left side of a lined paper, then use 3 post its going down the right side, one for each category, so I have everything in sight.
Finally, constantly reminding myself that if I want something to happen, I have to make it happen. No matter how messy or small the action, it is all on purpose. Reframing my thoughts is a continual work in progress, but it has really opened up some "Aha!" moments that have allowed me to move forward, and let go of things that are not aligned to my goals.
Hopefully one of these ideas resonates with you to make 2024 year of growth and joy.
Happy Elev8ing!-AllyB.