New Year, New You?

Happy Monday! We are officially six days into the new year and I don’t know about you guys but I’ve already been struggling. 2019 went by so quickly that I feel like my brain can’t process that it’s a new year already! I see posts all over social media about how it’s time to reflect on the old year, start setting goals for the new year, and (sadly) even about how they’ve already messed up 2020 and are ready for 2021. Well, I’ve done none of those things. I haven’t reflected on how great my 2019 was, and I sure as heck haven’t set any new goals for myself for 2020. Luckily, I don’t think I’ve failed yet (though that is apart of life, so I know I will fail sometime this year. Oh well, life goes on.) It’s six days in already and I feel like I’m behind the power curve.

That’s how my new year is going, but I don’t feel bad about it. Every day is a new day, and though I’m off to a slow start that doesn’t mean I can’t start eventually. Today, I want to share a couple of things with you. First, I’m going to start by sharing a cool journaling/reflection idea with you. It is from a guy named Justin Su’a. Justin is currently a mental health coach for the Tampa Bay Rays. He was the mental health coach for the Boston Red Sox when they won the world series two years ago. He also does a podcast series called Increase Your Impact every morning that is very powerful. He also posts on Facebook and Instagram daily with great, thought provoking topics.

Below is a picture of the 10 questions Justin suggests asking yourself and reflecting on for the new year. I will be going through a journaling session of my reflections to these questions later today, and I highly recommend you do the same!

I hope you enjoy the reflecting and maybe learn something new about yourself. The last four questions from this list brings me to my next topic. Goal setting. Goal setting is an important part of our lives. We wouldn’t accomplish anything if we didn’t set goals for ourselves and strive to meet those goals. If we don’t have goals, do we really live with purpose, on purpose? Having an actual plan through goal setting allows us to be effective and purposeful in how we grow and thrive. It helps us be the best versions of ourselves. It also helps us to stay focused through times of adversity and low motivation. It helps us accomplish our dreams and do it at a higher level of performance.

There are many forms of goal setting and lots of goal setting strategies. There are apps, worksheets, videos, and even paid professionals to help us set effective goals. (For a good place to do a little reading up on goal setting check out https://jamesclear.com/goal-setting) Here are a few tips of my own to get you started.

• When defining your goal, be specific. Use the 5 W’s.
• Give yourself a deadline. You can always adjust this if necessary, but be realistic and have a suspense date.
• Brainstorm some obstacles you foresee getting in your way of accomplishing your goal. If you know what may cause you to give up, you can better prepare a plan to get over these obstacles.
• Write action statements using the SMART acronym for how you will accomplish your goal.
  • Specific Measurable Action-focused Realistic Time-bound
• Have big, long-term goals for yourself. Then set smaller, short-term goals to help you reach the long-term, overarching goals. It’s all about baby steps.
• Write your goals down. A vision board might be a great way to physically see your goals and see them move to the completed section!
• Be process oriented. Enjoy the process of reaching your goals. If you’re trying to lose 20 pounds, love going to the gym. Love your body enough to fuel it with nutritious foods, not garbage.
• Have visual reminders such as pictures of your goal around you. Ex. If your goal is to run a marathon, set your phone background to a picture of someone who looks similar to you running a race.
• Find happiness before success.
• Set check-in dates.
• Leverage your morals, values, and character strengths for motivation.
• Live every day with purpose, on purpose.
• Create atomic habits. (Check out the book Atomic Habits by James Clear)

That is a long list. I know that. But if you put all those things into practice, or do a little research for other strategies, you’re bound to accomplish something this year. Also, please remember, every day is a new day. Don’t hold grudges against yourself for falling off the wagon yesterday. Today is a great day to try again. And always forgive yourself.

I hope at least one person finds this useful this year. I know it was therapeutic just writing about it, and now I can’t wait to start setting some goals for myself! Remember to do your FTP every day! Be 1% better today than you were the day before. If you ever need anything (questions, comments, or just need to talk) never hesitate to reach out.

My FTP: 1. I’m grateful for those who read this. I may not have many followers yet, but I appreciate those who do follow me. It’s because of you that I keep writing, so thank you. 2. I’m grateful for my best friend who has convinced me to run a 7k in March. She’s already helped me identify a goal for my year, and she keeps pushing me to always better myself. 3. I’m grateful for the maintenance person who fixed my garage door. Thanks to them my car doesn’t have to sit outside in the freezing temperatures all winter! I know it’s their job, but I still appreciate it getting done and so promptly.