If you don’t want to do any annual planning – it’s ok. You don’t have to go by an arbitrary calendar and what “everyone else” is doing. You don’t have to have a Word of the Year or your Desire Map feelings.
Some people never make resolutions because they know they won’t follow through. They’ve had the sames goals for the past ten years. It can be frustrating and feels like a waste of time.
What’s important in a meaningful life is being off auto-pilot. If you do exactly what you did last year, you’ll get what you got last year. You will change because it’s automatic, but will you go forward or backward?
Instead of a big annual plan, you can continually check in with yourself and want you want to do, have, be and feel. You may have different desires later in the year than now. You might have transitions or life events to adjust to. But, if you keep connecting with your soul you will be guided to what’s next.
Check In
It’s helpful to have systems in place to check in. Monthly, weekly and/or daily intentions. Journal and ask yourself questions. Answering a question a week is just as good as answering a whole packet of questions between Christmas and New Year.
You may find you are focusing more on self-care or letting go or playing with a character trait than of the normal “shoulds” of the New Year.
When you connect to yourself regularly your life is more you. You aren’t charting someone else’s course, you are using your inner compass.
Journaling Prompts for Self-Reflection and Self-Discovery
101 Questions to Ask Yourself in Life
Systems and Rituals
When you hear answers, you need to put in place systems for what you want. Put things you want to improve into your calendar and/or routine. Set reminders. Make the environment easier for you (set out exercise clothes, make and exercise schedule for the month, fruit bowl on the table.) Change one habit at a time. If you are decluttering – have a set time and use the declutter calendar.
Get Support
Join a class, an online support group, a Writer’s group, have an accountability partner. People say when they do one of my classes they get so much more done in a shorter period of time, just because of the accountability. Be on your own side with your self-talk.
Remember Your Growth
Write down your gratitudes, accomplishments, and kind things you have done throughout the year in a notebook or in a jar. Most of us forget by the end of the year and start the next year already feeling behind and unsuccessful.
***
If decluttering is a thought, join the Declutter Group.
These are very helpful thoughts as I am spending time today and tomorrow with next year’s calendar, planner and journal.