New Year’s Resolutions, Goals and Intentions for Anytime of the Year

New Year’s Resolutions, Goals and Intentions for Anytime of the Year is for all of us. It is for those of us who never started and those who may have already stopped. I don’t know about you, but the end of the year is a crazy time for me to be planning anything else. I just got done with two major holidays and the busy season for my jewelry shop.

Even though it’s the end of January, I am just now starting my New Year’s resolutions and goals. It doesn’t matter when we start. All that matters is that we start.

Now that I am somewhat caught up, I took some time to reflect on this past year and the future. I love this time of year, or anytime of the year that I do this.  It is not just about making resolutions. It is about regrouping, reassessing. I never know how long it will last, but I do know that for however long I stay the course, it makes a difference. I never look at it as a failure. Every step forward is a win. Every step gets me closer. Every step forward is a win. Let’s win together. Let’s do this together.

As I mentioned before, this year was a little different for me with still being a little shell shocked from how difficult the past year was and how far I seemed from anything remotely resembling normal or what I wanted for my life. So for anyone out there who is struggling with making things happen this year, I get it. It took working my plan for the year a while before I began to get excited and see the possibilities. I would take a break when I needed. A funny thing began to happen though, as I wrote down what I wanted, I would find myself fleshing it out more easily both while doing other things and when actively working on an area where I may have been stuck when I originally wrote it. So just start dreaming and planning, however big or small, even if you do not feel like it. The feeling sometimes comes after we get started.

I am going to share how I set my goals…or am setting my goals…this year. Because isn’t it always an ongoing thing? So don’t let starting “late” matter. There is no such thing. It is not about when we start. It is just important that we start.

Step 1: Brainstorm what you want your life to look like. Ask yourself what you would like more of in your life? Don’t edit this list as you write. Just write. You can edit it later.

Here are some things from mine.

• Make beautiful spaces. Stop dreaming of the beautiful spaces I see on Pinterest and start creating them in my home.
• Declutter. If I don’t love it or have a use for it, throw it out.
• Make a photo book. Doing things. Accomplishing things. Projects. 30 day challenges. Fitness Rockstar. Photo booths. Lip sync. Shoots. Going places. Food. Juice. Books. Blog. Land. Beautiful space. Things that matter. People that matter. Documentaries that change you. Jesus. His Word. Art. Close-up. Quotes. Friends. Family. Go lower (practice). Go slower (breathe). Get myself out there. Be visible. Use my voice. Be visible. Be beautiful. Make this space all about things that will change our lives.
• Beach.
• Take more pictures. With others, selfies, places, things. Print them, too. (Note to readers: While some of us overshare the selfies, there are others of us who still hate to be in front of the camera. I have a whole post coming on this subject.)
• Take more time for myself. Visit cafes, bookstores. Meet with friends. Do local events.
• Take time to create. Make it a priority. Everything else seems to be better when I do. Never get too busy for this.
• Make family time, both for the ordinary and the out of the ordinary experiences.
• A little adventure.
• More beach.
• Eat healthy.
• Drink more water.
• Get fit.
• Bread and wine get-togethers with friends and family.
• Fine tune a look and style I love
• Play more. (game nights, dance, photo booths, play on a swing, anything fun and silly)
• Laugh more.
• But most of all, love God.
• Do more challenges.
• Do epic things in beautiful places with amazing people while listening to great music.
• Have things to look forward to.

Once you have made your list, go back through. Flesh it out a little. If you will notice at one point I went on and on, just thinking out loud. Others I came back later and deleted. And then I would add other things as I thought of them. Write first. Edit later. Remember, this is just your brainstorming list. It is not your final list. Get crazy with it.

STEP 2: Ask yourself some important questions to see where your priorities are for the year.

• What makes me happy? Another variation: What do you think will make you happy?
• What inspires me?
• What moves me?
• What makes me feel grateful?

STEP 3: Make a specific plan…and group them.

I like to do this in tables, but feel free to use columns, sheets, or whatever works best for you. I like tables, because it helps me to see things at a glance. Being ADD, I like to group on paper what my mind has trouble doing.

Here are some sample sections:

STEP 4: Doodle, Journal, and Notes

Feel free to doodle, journal, make random notes on whatever speaks to you, whatever might stir the emotions in you to move, to take action, to make things happen. Add a quote. Go deeper into why something is important to you. Sometimes, along the way, we forget why we started. It is good to note what is moving you and why. Also, if there is a quote or any thoughts of your own that encourages you, inspires, or motivates you to want to change something, write that down. That is important stuff.

One more thing…

If you find yourself missing a goal or a day of doing something on your list, just pick it up again tomorrow or the next week. Just because you missed one day or even a week, does not mean we cannot start again. It is much better to take a break than to stop completely.

The worst thing we can do is to never start. The second worst thing we can do is to stop and not start again. And as far as the ones who start and never stop go, well, I don’t know. I don’t know any of those.

And remember…

• Start even if you do not feel like it.
• Take time when making your plan. Take a little break from it for a day or two when you need it. Sometimes it helps to let things set for a while. We tend to work on them subconsciously.
• Starting late is OK. There really is no such thing. If you are reading this in June, start then. Just start.
• A missed day or goal is not a permanent setback. We can start fresh the next day or even the next week. And Mondays are always for fresh starts.
• And always feel free to change your plan. Sometimes we change and want different things. That’s OK. It can even be a good thing.

Follow me on your favorite places…

• Pinterest:  Art of a Beautiful Life on Pinterest
• Instagram: @artofabeautifullife
• Facebook: Art of a Beautiful Life on Facebook
• Twitter: Art of a Beautiful Life on Twitter