Today I thought I’d share my guide and top tips for yearly intentions and goal setting. So, bookmark this page and save it for each new year and let the fun begin!
Before getting pen to paper it’s important to get yourself in the mood. I call this ‘alignment before action’. This looks different for everybody, for some it might be doing a meditation, breath work, having a cleansing swim in the ocean, going for a walk in nature, getting into your favourite outfit, putting on some red boss lady lippy or pouring yourself a crisp rosé (no judgement here).
First, let’s start with some reflection. Why? Well, the only way to get clear on where you want to go is to know where you’ve been and learn from it – reflecting back is a powerful way to move forward with intention, clarity and alignment.
2021 Reflections
Now dust off your journal and get out your fanciest pen, ensure you are somewhere peaceful and private and answer the following questions…
1. What 3 things are you most thankful for, why and what emotions does each one evoke for you?
2. What 3 things are you most proud of and what does each prove to you about your strengths and character?
3. What didn’t work out for you and what positive learnings can you take from each to enable you to grow personally or professionally?
4. What 3 things do you love and appreciate about yourself and why?
5. What did you do really well last year and how did it impact your results?
6. What skills did you develop and how did they positively impact your life and others?
7. What inner wisdom, insights or advice can you take from 2021 in order to move into 2022 happier, healthier and more abundant?
2022 Intentions
Now let’s look to the future…
1. What emotions and ‘vibes’ do you want to feel in 2022? What behaviours, activities or places make you feel this way currently? Do more of it!
2. Who do you want to become?
3. What personal qualities do you want to strengthen?
4. What do you want to learn this year?
5. What beliefs or internal stories do you want to let go of that no longer serve you? And what beliefs or internal stories can you focus on instead?
6. What will you say no to this year that no longer serves you?
7. How will you step out of your comfort zone?
8. What habits or behaviours do you want to stop?
9. What habits or behaviours do you want to start or continue?
10. What obstacles might you face this year and how will you overcome them?
2022 Goal Setting
Centre your goals around key areas eg. business/career, finances, health, relationship, self-care, personal growth, fun and recreation and environment (where you spend your time).
When setting goals, it is important for each goal to be;
• SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound)
• Heart centred (they should make you feel good about who you are)
• What YOU want deep inside, not what you think you should want based on other peoples expectations or ‘society’ norms
• Inspiring moving toward goal v’s moving away eg. ‘Loose 10kg’ is a moving away goal which doesn’t sound fun. The moving toward reframe could be ‘be a fit and healthy 60kg’
• Exciting and give you butterflies of anticipation when you think about it (if they create stress or overwhelm, reign it in a little so it doesn’t cause procrastination)
For each goal, answer the following questions;
1. WHY do you want to achieve this goal? How will it make a better future for you and others.
2. What beliefs, feelings and emotions will be present once you’ve achieved your goal? How can you achieve these feelings now, whilst you work toward your goals? This is key!
3. What has to happen in order for this goal to become reality? You may like to break this down into daily, weekly and monthly actions.
4. How will you keep yourself accountable? Who can you tell about your goal? What support do you need and from whom?
Further Tools and Techniques
• Visualisation – the subconscious loves imagination, in fact it doesn’t know the difference between imagination and reality, so feed it regularly with the images, feelings, emotions, sounds of your goals as if they were yours now
• Vision Board – get creative and cut out pictures, words, quotes and affirmations and stick them on a board and put it up somewhere you will see it regularly (I use the Kmart felt boards and use card paper and Velcro dots to create mine)
• Hypnosis and Self-Hypnosis –book a hypnosis session and get your subconscious mind on board with your goals.
• Modelling – think about who has what you want or similar to it (if you can’t think of someone, use your imagination), what does that person say to themselves? What do they
routinely do each day, week or month? How do they make themselves accountable? How do they communicate with others? What skills do they have which you can practice or learn?
• Invest In Yourself – read, research, listen to podcasts, hire a Coach that can provide guidance, support, accountability and mindset techniques to bust through those invisible boundaries standing between you and your greatness.
• Get Up Early – if there is one thing that 2021 highlighted for me (running a business whilst Mumming 2 school aged kids and a toddler in toe) is that TIME is precious, getting up earlier makes it easier to achieve your goals without it being at the expense of those that are important to you and require your presence.
And to finish off, I’m going to leave you with one of my favourite quotes by Ziad K. Abdelnour
Life is like a camera.
FOCUS on what’s important,
CAPTURE the good times,
DEVELOP from the negatives
and if things don’t work out…
Take another shot.
Wishing you all the very best for a happy, healthy and abundant 2022…
Now go smash your goals!
