January 1st is just another date on the Calendar
There are affiliate links in this post. Thank you for supporting Townsend House!
The week between Christmas and New Year’s is always one of
my favorites. The busyness is over, the
rest begins, and the light increases each day.
It is also an amazing time to reflect, to plan ahead, to dream, to iron
out “what’s next” in your life.
my favorites. The busyness is over, the
rest begins, and the light increases each day.
It is also an amazing time to reflect, to plan ahead, to dream, to iron
out “what’s next” in your life.
We all put a lot of stock into the fact that we get to flip
to a new month, a new year in the calendar.
I, perhaps, put too much stock into that very narrow, specific time
period.
to a new month, a new year in the calendar.
I, perhaps, put too much stock into that very narrow, specific time
period.
Surprise, surprise, it did not work out the way I had
expected this year, and looking back at past years, it hasn’t been working for
a while. The thing is, all of the
travel, extra sugar, and general hustle and bustle of the holidays creates,
almost always, the perfect storm for sickness to land with my kids and me as
soon as the busyness is done.
expected this year, and looking back at past years, it hasn’t been working for
a while. The thing is, all of the
travel, extra sugar, and general hustle and bustle of the holidays creates,
almost always, the perfect storm for sickness to land with my kids and me as
soon as the busyness is done.
For several years I haven’t had the opportunity to sit and
do the reflection I want, and the dreaming I want, during the time period I
want. Because of this I often think I
should throw in the towel, it doesn’t make sense to bother now, it is too late.
do the reflection I want, and the dreaming I want, during the time period I
want. Because of this I often think I
should throw in the towel, it doesn’t make sense to bother now, it is too late.
Is this you as well?
I began to realize that January 1st is just
another date on the calendar, and while I love to be able to sit and do all of
my reflection, have my goal planner filled out, have my bullet journal and calendar all ready to go, I know that it isn’t always
realistic.
another date on the calendar, and while I love to be able to sit and do all of
my reflection, have my goal planner filled out, have my bullet journal and calendar all ready to go, I know that it isn’t always
realistic.
Just because you didn’t have it all done by January 1st
does not mean that you can’t start now, where you are, as you are, right now.
does not mean that you can’t start now, where you are, as you are, right now.
January can be a difficult month for many of us. Coming down from the amazing holiday high,
the joyfulness, the lights on the trees, and then realizing that we are in the
cold, dark winter (well, at least on the East Coast!).
the joyfulness, the lights on the trees, and then realizing that we are in the
cold, dark winter (well, at least on the East Coast!).
Focus
on the days getting longer.
on the days getting longer.
What are you to do if you weren’t able to “get it all done”
by January 1st? The first
step is grace, and acceptance, and realizing it is very unlikely that you will
always have your new plans lined up for January 1st.
by January 1st? The first
step is grace, and acceptance, and realizing it is very unlikely that you will
always have your new plans lined up for January 1st.
Put that small disappointment away, and begin to move
forward.
forward.
Decide to not let the date on the calendar hold you back
from reflecting and fleshing out new ideas.
from reflecting and fleshing out new ideas.
Since we have come to the conclusion that the date on the
calendar should not hold us back from moving forward, what is the next step?
If you haven’t reflected on the previous year, how you felt
about the year, what were your successes, what were your challenges? Those are the questions to start with.
about the year, what were your successes, what were your challenges? Those are the questions to start with.
In
order to figure out where you want to go, you need to know where you have been.
order to figure out where you want to go, you need to know where you have been.
It is easy to forget that a certain rhythm didn’t work, or
that one, big challenge that you blocked out of your brain because it was so
difficult, or perhaps you had some big challenges and those have crowded out
the positive parts of your life that you also should reflect on. Or maybe you had so many positives, but you
can’t remember them all off the top of your head. When you sit down and start to think about
the previous 12 months, you will start to remember things you definitely forgot,
and it is nice to write them down.
that one, big challenge that you blocked out of your brain because it was so
difficult, or perhaps you had some big challenges and those have crowded out
the positive parts of your life that you also should reflect on. Or maybe you had so many positives, but you
can’t remember them all off the top of your head. When you sit down and start to think about
the previous 12 months, you will start to remember things you definitely forgot,
and it is nice to write them down.
I have used various reflection questions over the years, but
have come to rely on the Power Sheets by Lara Casey. If you don’t have the PowerSheets, or prefer
not to purchase them, Lara does an amazing job of showing you how to work
through this with her yearly goal setting series – you can see the first posthere – there is even an audio version if you would prefer to listen to it rather
than read it. Then grab any notebook or
bullet journal you may have and get writing!
have come to rely on the Power Sheets by Lara Casey. If you don’t have the PowerSheets, or prefer
not to purchase them, Lara does an amazing job of showing you how to work
through this with her yearly goal setting series – you can see the first posthere – there is even an audio version if you would prefer to listen to it rather
than read it. Then grab any notebook or
bullet journal you may have and get writing!
Once you have reflected on the previous year, it is time to
dream a little bit. What do you want
your life to look like at the end of year?
dream a little bit. What do you want
your life to look like at the end of year?
Dreaming can be scary.
Part of the reason is because you aren’t confident you will be able to
make the changes needed in order to get to that end goal, but don’t let that
hold you back! You need to be able to
dream a little, it makes life a bit more exciting. Or perhaps once you do that dreaming you will
realize that what you thought was a dream really isn’t anymore, and you can
move on to a different dream.
Part of the reason is because you aren’t confident you will be able to
make the changes needed in order to get to that end goal, but don’t let that
hold you back! You need to be able to
dream a little, it makes life a bit more exciting. Or perhaps once you do that dreaming you will
realize that what you thought was a dream really isn’t anymore, and you can
move on to a different dream.
You have that vision of what you want your life to look like
at the end of the year. In order to get
to that vision you will need to make some specific goals to reach that point.
at the end of the year. In order to get
to that vision you will need to make some specific goals to reach that point.
A good way to do this is to make the big, dreaming type
goals, and then take each goal and break it down into bite size steps.
goals, and then take each goal and break it down into bite size steps.
When
you break your big goals down into smaller steps, then you are able to see
progress each month, rather than veering off track and not accomplishing what
you set out to.
you break your big goals down into smaller steps, then you are able to see
progress each month, rather than veering off track and not accomplishing what
you set out to.
I recently heard a podcast by Tsh of The Simple Show, and
she talked about making 12 week goals rather than yearly goals. I think that this could work really well
also! There are definitely shorter term
goals that you make and cultivate, and if goal setting is scary to you, or you
have a difficult time completing those yearly goals, something much shorter
term such as a 12 week goal would be a great idea.
she talked about making 12 week goals rather than yearly goals. I think that this could work really well
also! There are definitely shorter term
goals that you make and cultivate, and if goal setting is scary to you, or you
have a difficult time completing those yearly goals, something much shorter
term such as a 12 week goal would be a great idea.
This can easily integrate into yearly goals as well.
When you have your yearly goal, there are steps that you
need to take to reach that end goal, and you have to break it down, like we
talked about above. However, within
these smaller steps, you may find that the yearly goal you came up with no
longer makes sense, and at that point, since you have been making small steps
towards that goal, you can then pivot to change that goal into something that
lines up with your life right at that moment.
need to take to reach that end goal, and you have to break it down, like we
talked about above. However, within
these smaller steps, you may find that the yearly goal you came up with no
longer makes sense, and at that point, since you have been making small steps
towards that goal, you can then pivot to change that goal into something that
lines up with your life right at that moment.
Do not continue working towards a goal just for the sake of
completing it. If it no longer makes
sense for your life right now, scrap it, and move ahead.
completing it. If it no longer makes
sense for your life right now, scrap it, and move ahead.
When I look ahead to my year I see a lot of big picture
goals, but I also see a lot of intention type goals – especially when it comes
to my family. Intentions I need to work
on daily, so that they become habits and figure into the ethos of our family
life. But, there are always a couple of
concrete goals that I want to work towards as well, whether they are paying off
another debt, or the number of books I want to read.
goals, but I also see a lot of intention type goals – especially when it comes
to my family. Intentions I need to work
on daily, so that they become habits and figure into the ethos of our family
life. But, there are always a couple of
concrete goals that I want to work towards as well, whether they are paying off
another debt, or the number of books I want to read.
Don’t limit what you want to accomplish because you think that
it is too big. Perhaps it is, perhaps
the time frame will need to be adjusted, but you will be happy that you
started, that you didn’t let the date on the calendar hold you back.
it is too big. Perhaps it is, perhaps
the time frame will need to be adjusted, but you will be happy that you
started, that you didn’t let the date on the calendar hold you back.
What
goals are you working on this year?
goals are you working on this year?
