The time has come and gone that we have set our intentions to be able to get through a new year. Well, 2020 had given us time after time of trouble after trouble. And here we are at the start of 2021. Often times January or the beginning of January is a time to set intentions and goals for the coming year and often by March we fall off track of what those goals are for us and what they mean for us. And as we sit here and reflect towards the end of January 2021, it’s difficult to even know sometimes what we want for our goals to be. How have you set new goals in order to forge forward to create a space for yourself, your family, and your life to be?
In what ways have you set New Year’s goals? Maybe you kept it simple in fear of what the year would hold. Maybe you were bold in your wants and needs for this year. And maybe you did not set any goals at all! And that’s okay! Goal setting is something that people can do in private or sometimes with a group of other people to help them be held accountable. As we continue to work through space of being mentally well and looking inward at what health truly means to all of us it’s encouraging and important to not just set goals but to set time and space to allow oneself to reflect on such challenges they have overcome and the challenges that they may face in the future. What are the obstacles that might need to be overcome to live the life you want? So while January often is a time to reflect and push forward for new your goals it’s important to also reflect and check in about wants and needs. Goals don’t need to be extravagant or overbearing. Goals might be to make it through the day with a smile on. Before looking in the media at all the goals other people are setting, what are your personal wants and needs for the year? For life? Building foundations for yourself is a crucial piece of being able to forge forward in difficult times.
Here are 3 ways to goal set without feeling this is a typical goal that you might not follow through with:
Energy
If you are going to give your energy to a goal, making sure its something that energizes you back is crucial. Sounds contradictory right? How can something that takes away your energy also give you energy? Simple: being able to reflect on how good you feel after having done the task is important. When you start to implement your goals, does it feel good to have done that task? Or are you regretful and do not want to do it again? Take time to look at the goals you have set, the things you have done for those goals, and reflect on what this has done for your energy.
Time
What does your goal look like? Often the reason people fall off the track of accomplishing their goals is because they have set the intention to finish fast rather than spacing out what that goal truly means to them. Is your goal something that you will build foundationally for over the course of a year? Or is it something you have tried to rush to hit your goals by earlier months in the year? Allowing yourself the grace of knowing your intentions were set for 12 months is important and allowing yourself to build up over time is crucial.
Space
While being able to physically have the space to do these things is important, its also just as important to be able to have the space within your day to get goals accomplished. Mental space is something that isn’t often considered but is more crucial than people realize. If you implement steps for this goal, does your mind have the space to be able to execute what you need and want to for this goal? How will this take away from the space you have for self care? Thinking of space as the opportunity to leave room for growth is important and necessary when goal setting.