Setting New Years Goals every January is a tradition for most people whose year starts on January first. I know people who slap them out every New Year’s Eve and face January 1st all ready to create a new them. By January 4th, most have forgotten all about their good intentions and life goes on as usual.
The same as before.
No change.
At any-rate, this is how goals usually work for me. So the last two years I have chosen to go with picking a Word for the year. This is a popular method among my fiber artists circles and I have to say I’ve gotten better results using this approach. For 2011 I chose the Word “Conquer“. I spent the year trying to learn how to conquer some of my messes, my bad habits, my fears. For 2012 I chose the Word “Focus” and spent my year trying to learn how to be more like a laser and less like a shotgun when it came to my attention span and getting things done. I’m a true creative/multipod, I’m distracted by every shiny new object, funky new design or fabulous new idea that manifests in my brain or crosses my field of vision. I want to drop what ever was my latest hot idea and chase the new one. This would be great if someone was paying me to be a brain-storm trooper but, bad if I want to actually develop an idea to its conclusion.
Sigh.
This is a self-portrait I did several years ago. I’m sure some of you recognize it as I have used it for my avatar on several social sites. It is still highly representational (can you guess why ;o)
And I like that. I like that part of me, I just wish I had some control over it – hence, last year’s Word; Focus.
What has picking a Word done for me? I have not mastered the concepts but I have built some very real and useful skills/habits/traits that bring me closer to being able to take steps toward my Goals.
Back to Goals
Don’t mistake me, I haven’t abandoned the whole Goals idea. I just think that my long-term goals don’t need to be muddled by a slew of smaller goals for the year that will only make me feel like a failure if I don’t reach them or they get changed, or abandoned as useless. And because they are long-term, I don’t want to keep listing them every year and making myself feel worse because I haven’t reached them yet. I’ve decided that building some skills needed to work towards them is a more efficient use of my time and energy.
This year I’m keeping the practice but, inspired by a post from Emilie Wapnick of PuttyLike, I’m not calling it my Word for the year anymore, I’m picking my Theme. It’s a more accurate way to describe what is actually going on with this process.
So, this year’s Theme is “Progress“. I’ve built some skills (not enough, but a start) and feel like it’s time to start using them to inch toward my long-term goals – I have many, see the self-portrait? So my themes from the last two years will continue to be worked on, but some progress can now be made. I am publicly stating that I will try not to procrastinate so much and work to make Progress.
What is your theme for the year?
Deb H
After all, as someone said “It’s about the journey to the destination”, because without a destination in mind you will only wander aimlessly.
