A new year begins. It is time to reset and embrace the renewal that every beginning brings. A blank page is before us, on which everything remains to be written. It’s also an opportunity to improve our ways and do better than yesterday. Any new construction requires a plan which might include a visual representation of the building and a detailed list of steps and resources needed to get to the finished structure. This is what living intentionally is about: having a vision for life and building it progressively, by achieving goals one at a time.
Having goals is one thing, setting the right goals is another.
It is by setting good goals that we can achieve them. Here are some tips to help tackle our goals in 2023.
1. Understand our why
Understanding our ‘why’ is recognizing that we exist for a specific reason. The sense of purpose highlights the motivation behind our choices. It also allows us to understand our goals and their alignment with our life mission. It keeps us collected and focused.
2. Visualize the result
“We cannot be, what we cannot see.” – Tova Kreps, President of Wellspring Counseling. Imagination is the key to creation. By imagining what our goals lead us to become, we stimulate our motivation to achieve them. Reading about role models and creating vision boards are great ways to visualize our desired results.
3. Establish small achievable goals
Start small and break down big goals into small steps. Accomplishing simple goals will keep us motivated and strengthen our desire to push through in achieving our vision.
4. Build habits around your goals
Having multiple goals will require discipline, patience, and determination. In today’s busy life, it helps to build regular practices around the accomplishment of these objectives. Habits determine 95% of a person’s behavior. By developing habits around our goals, and by integrating them into our daily routine, we are sure to truly change our lifestyle. A little bit every day can go a long way.
5. Become a “good-enough-ist” rather than a perfectionist:
Failures will come, and we will not always keep the same motivation. Showing up and doing your best every day – whatever that looks like – is what matters.
Living an intentional life, rather than being led by circumstances, gives us a better sense of control over our environment and over ourselves. Wherever we set our goals, that is where we will end up, which is why it is important to attend to them. It is true self-care to invest in building a more purposeful and fulfilling life.
Listen to this week’s podcast entitled: Living Well Intentionally
