Happy New Year!
I hope all of you had a great first day of 2023. And I’m sure that if you’ve been on social media in the last week, you have read through (or scrolled past) 2022 reviews and reflections and people announcing their big goals for 2023.
I believe in goal setting, it’s been helpful for me in my life. I also believe we need to take the pressure off before committing to goals that put crippling expectations and pressures on ourselves.
This week, I want to share a suggestion with you: set intentions, not resolutions.
It’s easy to make a list with a dozen goals you want to reach by the end of March, but is that how you should approach it? And given what we’ve learned after 3 years of pandemic: how can you leave enough room for the unexpected?
Questions to guide you in setting your intentions
If you want to reflect on the past year and make plans for 2023, here are some questions to guide you:
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What’s your favourite memory of 2022?
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What did you learn about yourself?
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Who inspired you this year?
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What is something you did this year that you’re proud of?
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Which of your skills and talents helped you the most this year?
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What’s the best compliment you received this year?
As you look ahead to this new year, focus on your personal intentions and set goals in addition to that (make sure you set specific goals you can measure, etc. – you know the drill 🤓):
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What do you want to do more of next year?
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Who can help you grow in 2023?
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What can you do to nudge or push yourself outside your comfort zone?
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What habits and rituals do you want to maintain in 2023?
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Is there an activity you want to try or new skill you want to develop?
These questions are meant as starting points and inspiration. Some will feel easy and you could write an essay in response, others will be harder. Pick those that serve you and add you own as you go along.
Tip: There is no need to announce your goals publicly. I know that there is the idea that public accountability helps, but I have come to recognise that for me, I like to keep private things private and I don’t need to share my aspirations with the world. So if you don’t feel the urge to share your intentions more widely, that’s totally ok.
How to truly make progress towards your goals
In my experience, if things are really important and meaningful to you, you will get them done.
With that in mind, make sure that whatever intentions and goals you set, they’re really important to you and they excite you. If they don’t, you can always park them and revisit those particular topics in a few weeks’ time.
For now, focus on the things you really, truly want to achieve:
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What do you need to make them happen?
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Who can support you and how?
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What’s a realistic timeframe?
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What are potential challenges and how will you address them?
Personally, I’m really excited about 2023, because it will bring a lot of change and new adventures and I can’t wait to see how they will make me grow.
If you would like support to achieve your professional goals, request a complimentary call here to discuss whether career coaching is the right option for you. I have availability for new coaching participants from February 2023.
With that, have a great first week of 2023!
Eva