Goal-Setting without Boundaries: Thriving Beyond New Year's Resolutions

It's January and my mind is blank... how about YOU?

I am going to declare that that is a good thing for me... a victory of sorts!

For I have found... over the years... that my mind has been SO full with over thinking LIFE... personally and professionally... that to find myself in search of a writing prompt on a Saturday morning is highly unusual.

The Dreaded New Year's Resolution(s)

So the struggle to find a writing prompt to kick off 2024 led me to another challenge I face this time of year... "What is YOUR New Year's Resolution?".

Quite frankly... that's seems like a lot of pressure and why only once a year?

I mean... I get it...New Year sounds like a good chance to wipe the slate clean and leave the past behind... you know...focus forward... set goals. It's just... why can't we even live life a few days with our blank slate... blank mind... to reset and renew.

On top of that is the natural outcome of the dreaded resolution(s) of giving up on them before we get too far into the year. Think the gym membership people in January.

What I am saying is that it seems this whole annual process sets most of us up for guilt and disappointment rather than what the intent is meant to be.

So...how can we embrace goal setting without boundaries and thrive beyond the New Year's Resolution?

A New Way of Thinking for 2024

My solution to this conundrum is to discard the resolution and focus instead on continuous evolution.

Each day... week... month is a chance to start fresh and think of small ways to evolve. It also allows for multiple resets or reinvention. That way if you fall off the "gym membership" bandwagon expectation of going every day... losing a zillion pounds... and staying away from all the food that brings you joy... you can always reset tomorrow with a small act that moves you one step closer to a healthy lifestyle. Goals without boundaries OR guilt!

The other thing I suggest is to buy yourself a super hero medal. Seriously... it's only a few dollars on amazon and gives you permission to celebrate YOU each and every day...maybe even multiple times a day...not just once a year... or when YOUR Big Hairy Audacious goal is mythically reached. I promise you it will bring a smile to your face on the tougher days ahead and on the good days when YOU accomplished that one thing...that small thing...that only YOU know is a victory!

In Closing...

Let's make 2024 the year where we discard Resolutions and focus on Continuous Evolution.

Let's also make it the year of being ok with a blank mind. Let's find ways to clear the clutter and enjoy the moments of peace we create from doing things that give us space. Here are a few suggestions from my holiday break...

• Do a 1500 piece puzzle... let it take you multiple days
• Make your favorite food... invite just a couple of people over to share in it... play games afterwards and leave the dishes for the next day
• Go for a short walk... or a long walk... or just a walk
• Listen to your favorite music... podcast... movie that makes you laugh or feel joy
• Write a blog post... ask someone else to write one for YOU to read (for example we recently gave Storyworth to a couple of family members)

I have no doubt YOU can come up with lots more. Give yourself space this year to live in the moment and enjoy the journey. My bet is without all the pressure and guilt we place on ourselves to achieve all our goals at once we most likely will achieve more than we thought was possible. Maybe even some unexpected goals that we didn't know we needed.

Let's make this year the year we Thrive Beyond the Resolution!

Leadership Questions of the Week for YOU:

• How are YOU starting off the year? Blank mind or mind racing?
• Did YOU make any New Year's Resolutions?
• Do YOU have a memory of a resolution YOU made over the years that you kept and that was successful? What about it made it achievable?
• Do you have memorable resolutions that you made and gave up on? How did it make you feel?
• What do YOU think of discarding resolution for continuous evolution? Do YOU have a different practice or way of thinking about it?
• What practices do YOU have for clearing your mind over the holidays?
• Do YOU have any writing prompt suggestions to start off 2024 so I can overcome the blank mind next week?

Thanks for reading….and remember…YOU make a difference!

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