A Fresh Start
It is almost 2023! Can you believe it? I still feel like we are in 2019, but the calendar disagrees with me. Every time we are approaching a new year, I take the better part of one day to sit down and formulate a plan for the upcoming year. Goals are set, plans are established, steps are laid out for the upcoming year.
While planning what 2023 will look like, a tweet from James Clear (can you tell that I love this guy?) came across my computer screen. He wrote:
"Just start.
Start slow if you have to.
Start small if you have to.
Start privately if you have to.
Just start."
This tweet really resonated with me. This is one of the things that people (including me) struggle with the most. How do we know where to begin? What is step one on the journey? We need to know what step one is before we can establish step two.
In my mind, step one is sitting down and deciding what changes you want to make in the upcoming year. With this step we are not even looking at the finish line. Not even considering the goal that we would like to accomplish by the end of the year. We are just looking at forming the habits and systems that will move us in the direction of that goal. This is the starting line. Then coming up with some targets to hit along the way.
We are often told that we need to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely) goals. For years, that was how I approached each new year, but I shifted that last year. You may be wondering "Why the change in approach?" The answer is that if I spent my energy and attention simply focusing on achieving the goal and I didn't reach the target, it left me feeling more defeated than anything. However, if I focused my attention on building the habits and system, then I was able to celebrate the smaller victories along the way. AND the habits were more likely to stick and carry on into the future.
So this year, rather than focusing your attention on the end goal, take the time to establish the systems and habits that will get you there.
Does it really matter if you reach that goal by the end of 2023? Would it be OK with you if you hit the target in March of 2024?
Stop to celebrate the wins throughout 2023!
It is almost 2023! Can you believe it? I still feel like we are in 2019, but the calendar disagrees with me. Every time we are approaching a new year, I take the better part of one day to sit down and formulate a plan for the upcoming year. Goals are set, plans are established, steps are laid out for the upcoming year.
While planning what 2023 will look like, a tweet from James Clear (can you tell that I love this guy?) came across my computer screen. He wrote:
"Just start.
Start slow if you have to.
Start small if you have to.
Start privately if you have to.
Just start."
This tweet really resonated with me. This is one of the things that people (including me) struggle with the most. How do we know where to begin? What is step one on the journey? We need to know what step one is before we can establish step two.
In my mind, step one is sitting down and deciding what changes you want to make in the upcoming year. With this step we are not even looking at the finish line. Not even considering the goal that we would like to accomplish by the end of the year. We are just looking at forming the habits and systems that will move us in the direction of that goal. This is the starting line. Then coming up with some targets to hit along the way.
We are often told that we need to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely) goals. For years, that was how I approached each new year, but I shifted that last year. You may be wondering "Why the change in approach?" The answer is that if I spent my energy and attention simply focusing on achieving the goal and I didn't reach the target, it left me feeling more defeated than anything. However, if I focused my attention on building the habits and system, then I was able to celebrate the smaller victories along the way. AND the habits were more likely to stick and carry on into the future.
So this year, rather than focusing your attention on the end goal, take the time to establish the systems and habits that will get you there.
Does it really matter if you reach that goal by the end of 2023? Would it be OK with you if you hit the target in March of 2024?
Stop to celebrate the wins throughout 2023!
Movement is my medicine,
