Every year you make a promise to be a better you. This year, make a promise to just be you, honestly” – Jacqueline Wales
You have just gone through a year where you promised yourself you would make some changes. Did your intentions manifest the way you wanted them to? Or did you miss the mark?
If you managed to fulfill your intentions set at the beginning of this year, then congratulations. That puts you in a small minority of individuals who have manifested their dreams.
There are many reasons why we miss the mark, and I’ve been guilt of it too many times!
I was ambitious and set too many BIG goals. I didn’t take time to map out a strategic plan and figure out what I needed to make it happen. I gave up on it too quickly because I didn’t see immediate results. I may not have believed I could achieve it.
Then again, sh** happens.
We have family demands, life circumstances, and all kinds of experiences that can waylay the best plans.
This can be the year when you intend to live more fully, take more risks, and achieve more than you think you can.
This is the year when you commit to overcoming the fear and uncertainty that often accompanies the idea of doing something bigger than you’ve done before.
This is the year when you truly believe you can do what you want to do, and hold yourself accountable for the results you say you want. Consider the following:
- When you think about the year ahead what are you passionate about?
- What would make the biggest difference to your life. Your career?
- What do you want more of? Less of?
- Where have you played small, and want to play a bigger game?
- What is the ONE thing that if you did it, would change the trajectory of your life?
Ok, that might be a hard one to think about, but it’s worth consideration.
Many good intentions get lost along the way after the initial burst of enthusiasm, and usually it’s for a very good reason. We don’t write down what we want, and how we are going to achieve it. We have vague ideas, but nothing clearly outlined to make it happen.
Frequently we set ourselves up with big expectations and get to the end of the year feeling we didn’t fulfill them. We feel like we failed, and it may stop us from reaching again because we fear failure.
But what is failure but an expectation, a decision or a choice that didn’t go the way you had planned (or not).
Be mindful of this as you set your intentions. We need to be ambitious and dream big but also be realistic in terms of what we can handle so you don’t disappoint yourself. (I’ve been guilty of this many times).
The following format will outline your intentions.
Intentions + Resources + Actions = Results
- What do you want to achieve this year? Set your intentions.
- Identify your current resources to help you get there. This includes people who will support you, tools or programs you are currently engaged with and financial. You can probably think of other things.
- Identify what you need and don’t have. People, education, support, financial etc.
- Define a clear plan of action steps that you will take on a daily, weekly and monthly level. Make a chart for yourself so you can keep track of your progress.
- Set your calendar every three months to remind you to update your progress and give you a greater opportunity to achieve beyond your wildest dreams.
Finally, as you review your plans, allow that there will be days when you are not following your own directions. Don’t be hard on yourself. We all fall off the wagon, but the secret is to get back on again as soon as possible before the future runs away from you and you are left holding thin air.
If you need help to build a well-considered plan I’m offering a two-hour workshop on how to set intentions for the new year and make them stick. December 28th at 9am PST.
I’ll support you with a workbook you can use all year, plus a bonus coaching call to make sure your plans are solid after the workshop. You can register here.
Are you ready to make this your best year yet? You know what you need to do.
Take ownership of your amazing skills and talents, be more confident in your choices, claim more authority at work and find greater confidence and comfort across all dimensions of your career and life? Check out Transformational Strategies for Success If you want more information please DM me.