Each January we are told to become a better version of ourselves this year, with overly ambitious resolutions and the obligatory positive attitude. New year, new you! Oh, the pressure. Let’s just ease into 2022, shall we? I mean… we are entering the third year of craziness and ongoing measures surrounding a pandemic. I think it is safe to say we are all a little apprehensive of whatever is coming next. Right? Here are some of the things I recommend you do instead of setting yourself goals that are only making the stress levels go up.
My advice? Set some good intentions, a few achievable goals, and keep doing the things you love. Create inner peace, and look after yourself. Stay close to your heart, and listen to your intuition. It is always right. That, to me, is a better way to start the new year. And way more sustainable.
1. Set positive intentions
Intentions are not goals. Intentions are really a mindset thing. Where goals come with a certain amount of pressure (and the guilt if you fail to action on them), intentions are softer, and, in my opinion, a more gentle way to start the year. You make it your intention to do something this year, which basically puts the wheels in motion. An intention sends a message to your brain that you are now willing and ready to make a change or work on your goals. If anything, it will help to put you in a positive mindset. You can say your intentions out loud, but it also works well to write them down in your journal or on your note board.
Examples of intentions can be:
“I intend to write a weekly blog post for my website, so that I add value and improve my SEO.”
“I intend to be more patient as a mother, so that I improve the relationship with my children.”
“I intend to show up more often in videos, so my audience gets to know me better and experience my positive vibes and energy”.
“I intend to go for a walk twice a week before starting work, so I get fitter and clear my head.”
2. Set achievable goals
Setting achievable goals is very important for your mindset as entrepreneur. If you only ever put the bar really high (“I will earn multiple 6 figures this year”), you’re going to feel pretty low very soon. By all means, include a more ambitious goal (“I will start earning a steady 5k each month”), but make sure that most of your goals are actually reachable. Small goals, bite-size milestones. Celebrating these smaller wins will still give you a great feeling, fire you up, make you feel amazing, and keep the motivation up to more forward and work on the bigger goals.
Examples of achievable goals can be:
I will attract two new coaching clients each month by the 1st of April.
I will finish writing my e-book by the 1st of July.
I will have delivered four creative workshops in-person by the end of 2022.
3.Build in enough time doing what you love
Yes, I know you are obsessed with your business right now, but are you also building in enough time to switch off and nourish your soul? To get out of your head and work with your hands (or move your body) is a great way to refocus and de-stress. New ideas will come when you step away from your laptop. It doesn’t matter what hobby or activity you choose, as long as you make time for it. I was guilty of ignoring my own artistic self for a long time, and this year I am making sure I have at least one whole day each week to nurture my inner artist. For you it might be cooking, or going for long walks in nature. Spending time reading novels, knitting, playing piano, learning a whole new skills. Whatever it is, schedule it in, just like you schedule in everything else. It helps you to stay sane and create a good work-life balance.
Book recommendation to kick start your own creativity:
The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron
This book is all about nurturing your creative spirit and get the juices flowing, by;
- Writing the ‘Morning Pages’: consistently write three pages each morning in your journal before you do anything else. It is not meant to be art or read by anyone else; it is purely to empty your head and get the worries, overwhelm, ideas and thoughts out of your system and onto paper.
- Going on a weekly ‘art date’ with yourself. Just you on your own. Take yourself to a museum, a gallery, the seaside, the park, or anywhere else you want to pamper the artist inside of you, and spend time with this (often) very much ignored part of yourself.
Listen to your gut: it speaks the truth
Your intuition lives in your gut – and it knows the truth. Listen to it. Has your gut been telling you to quit your job for a long time now? is that niggling feeling not going away? Stop ignoring it and start planning your escape. Your gut speaks from your soul, and will always push you in the right direction, that what you are meant to be and do here on earth. That doesn’t mean it will be an easy change, or approved by your environment. But sooner or later you will be faced by this desire for change again, so why postpone it any longer?
I know, we talk ourselves out of things, because of fear. We convince ourselves that “our life is good as it is, and we may not succeed if we change.” Just remember: your rational head is only trying to protect you, it has no idea what you are capable of!
Don’t let your brain take over, like it usually does, talking sense into you. It doesn’t know what is best for you, it will always try and coerce you back into other people’s expectations, safety, and the comfort zone. But be honest: how will you feel at the end of your life if you didn’t even give it a try? You can move mountains, you’ll see. If others can do it, so can you.
What are you going to do differently this year?