As I sit here reflecting on the New Year, I feel both excited and daunted at the same time: so much promise, yet so much uncertainty. In the midst of that uncertainty, one easy step to offset this uncertainty is writing out your goals and vision for the New Year. This is because writing down your goals lays the foundation for the opportunity to create positive, lasting change.
Permission to Shine
One of the magical things about the New Year is the permission we get to give ourselves to nurture our dreams and visions for how we might like our life to look– whether this is living a more heart-centred, soul-inspired life, dealing with a health issue in a more holistic way, striving to reach some personal milestones, or conquering a long-standing goal. The New Year is the perfect time to take stock and remember our dreams.
But it's easy to get caught up in our daily routines and forget about the big dreams and visions we have for ourselves. We often think of them as something intangible and far away, but the truth is that we can make them a reality if we take the time to plan and take action. And often, the best way to move in the direction of our dreams is by taking teeny, tiny steps.
Write It Down
Writing down our goals and the next steps we need to take is a great way to stay on track and ensure we don't get overwhelmed.
It's important to remember to be kind to ourselves and not set our expectations too high, as it can lead to feelings of overwhelm and disappointment. Instead, focus on making small, sustainable changes that can add up to big results over time.
It's also a good idea to have a Plan B in case life gets hectic or unexpected challenges arise. This simple act alone has great power: life inevitably has challenges and setbacks, so when we have a go-to Plan B already in place, this helps to reduce stress and overwhelm. I've taught many people over the years how to prepare for bushfire. While we can't be fully prepared for the unexpected, having a practised, written plan in place can be life-saving. Literally. A backup plan takes the edge off a potentially traumatic situation, so you are more able to be fully present and undertake the survival strategies required to manage the situation. It's no different with writing out your plans for the year, for the quarter, for the month, weeks and days.
Dreams & Vision for 2023
So, what are your dreams for the New Year? What are your grand visions and plans for 2023? Write them down. Then, once you have your plan, start taking action. What's one step you can take today? And the day after? Write it down and take that step today. Then do it again. These steps don't need to be big. In fact, baby steps are your friend because these are manageable and less likely to create overwhelm, therefore making the ideal opportunity for progress. Rinse and repeat and before you know it, you'll have traction and be on your way to realising your vision.
Another great resource to set the tone for the New Year and for creating meaningful change in your life is a vision board. Creating a vision board is, in many ways, the same as writing down your goals and dreams for the New Year–only using images to give expression to your vision. Think Pinterest, and you get the gist.
Or maybe there's some problem that needs solving–in your life, in your family's life– and this creates the drive to materialise something from nothing. Because ultimately, it all begins with having that vision, that idea. Without the thought, without the vision, the spark of the idea, there is no creation, no change.
"Movement is the antidote to the inertia of the soul" (from Safe Haven Pocketbook)- as long as you are moving in the direction of your dreams and your vision, then you are, in effect, supporting your well-being and feeding your soul. After all, the soul knows that it is the journey that counts....the destination is simply the icing on the cake...
Here's to a wonderful 2023!
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© 2023 SK Reid. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the author at info@skreid.com.au.