Happy new year!!
Welcome to the first day of 2020, the first day of a new decade.
What does it have it store for you?
I'm hoping that you've got some time over the next week, before work really picks up again, to reflect on what you're leaving behind and what you're creating.
There are a couple of things I find 'end of year' energy is particularly good for. One is writing out your personal 2019 greatest hits. What did you succeed at? What are you grateful for? What are you celebrating? I like Denise Duffield-Thomas' approach of aiming to write 100 things. I got stuck a few times so kept asking myself, anything else?
It's also a good time of year to ask yourself: what am I leaving behind? What am I releasing? What am I refusing to take into 2020 with me? This could be anything from Marie Kondo style de-cluttering of items you no longer need or a mental/ emotional release like deciding that worrying about what other people think isn't going to control you in the new year.
I dislike the messaging around new year of 'new year, new you'. I don't think we need a new you. What we want is an even better you.
So rather than committing to losing 2 stone or to read a book a week (classic new years resolutions that disperse in February), why not get more curious and more specific. What book are you intrigued by, that you'd love to read? Resolve to read it. What new activity have you always wanted to try? Go book a lesson.
These softer, more specific ideas about having fun and following your interests are much more likely to keep you learning, growing, evolving.
Plus, you can set intentions, goals, change your mind, make decisions, create things, on any day of the year.You don't need to wait for a new year or the start of a new month.
This links back to what we were talking about last week, deciding on an outcome you want and asking ‘what can I do today, that feels good, that could lead towards my outcome’.
More fun, less striving.
I'd love to hear what you'll be working on in 2020, hit comment and let me know.
Intentions vs. Goals
What’s the difference between intention setting and goal setting? And why is it important?
This is a great time of year to reflect and be playful and curious about what 2020 could have in store.
So as usual with this blog, take what resonates and discard what doesn’t...
In my experience goals are about deciding on a specific outcome and often creating sub goals or steps towards achieving that outcome. They tend to be binary- either you achieve them or you don’t.
They tend to require a push. A striving, driven kind of energy. Problem solving. Deadlines. Get it done.
Intentions are softer. They’re similar in the sense you create an outcome that you want. They require you’re even clearer on WHY you want it (even more so than goals).
Intentions leave space for the ‘how’ to materialise more through intuition and open-minded focus. This doesn’t mean sitting on your yoga mat expecting your outcome to materialise overnight, but it does mean being open to the multiple different ways you could achieve the outcome. There’s less insistence that it has to happen a certain way.
This has been radical for me personally. I’ve always been a goal setter, until 2019 when I thought why the hell not, I’ll try something different.
I’ve achieved more in business this year (progress, events, speaker invites, client impact) as a result. Because instead of dogmatically forcing momentumon one particular action, I’ve asked myself ‘what can I do today, that feels good, that could lead towards my outcome’.
It became more fun and less strivy.
It worked for me so I’m sharing it with you.
How to go about it? Start with the self reflection questions I shared last week and then ask yourself what outcomes you want in 2020.
Gently pose the question now and then give yourself a couple of weeks off. No active thinking. You’ve planted the seed.
Just be open and notice when the quiet voice in your head (vs. the loud, opinionated one) shares ideas.
I’d love to hear what you’ll be working towards next year, hit reply and let me know :)
Have a fabulous Christmas with family and friends. We’ll take a break from the blog next week and I’ll be back in your inbox 1 Jan to wish you a fabulously delightful, fun-filled, adventurous 2020.