2019 Goals: Continue, Return to, More of...

I always spend time at the beginning of each year thinking about the year ahead of me. I have this notebook in which I've been writing thoughts and dreams and goals and ideas for years. I pull this notebook out and I look at it. I flip through the pages and soak in all of the aspiration and energy that radiates off the paper. It's like taking a bath in optimist soup! Then I focus in on what I wrote last year.

What was I brainstorming about? What was I trying to do? And what of that did I accomplish?

When I've done all of that, I usually start brainstorming around the new year. In the past I've even come up with a theme for the new year and centered my goals around that theme.

But this year was a little different.

First of all, now that writing has become more of a job than a hobby for me, I create two separate lists: one of writing goals and one of life goals. Like anyone with a career, you're likely to have work goals and personal goals. For me, those two worlds used to overlap more. Now, writing is such a focus of mine that it needs its own list.

But, what struck me when I looked at my goals for last year, is that I found I had actually accomplished a lot of what I set out to do. My daily life was taking the shape--most of the time--that I had been seeking for years. That was so exciting to realize! I felt like I had really made some genuine progress. But I also found that some things that I had done well at the beginning of 2018 and fallen off more than I would like by the year's end. And, I found some goals I hadn't really made much headway on at all.

I closed my notebook and walked away to give it all some time to stew. And what I ended up with were a few short lists on a scratch pad--lists that came quite easily-- that captured my goals for 2019. And the lists were grouped differently from how I'd done it before.

First I listed things that I wanted to CONTINUE. These are the things that I had accomplished last year and wanted to carry on into the new year. This list gives a nod to all that I accomplished in 2018, and recognizes that it will take work to keep those things up. Here's what landed on that list:

Continue...
- Writing
- Daily meditation
- Art Play
- Blogging
- Reading
- Sleeping well

The next list captured the things that I was doing well at the beginning of 2018 (or maybe it was back in 2017!), but somehow lost track of as the year went on. These are things that I want to get back on track with in 2019. They are my RETURN TOs. That list looked like this:

Return to...
- Daily workouts
- Healthy eating
- Journalling/Gratitude practice
- Walking the dog
- Stretching
- Vitamins and supplements
- Hubby-time

Then came the list of new things. This is the stuff that I want MORE OF in my life than I have had in recent years. It's the stuff that I've never done but want to do...or learn. This is the hardest list for me to keep contained. Because once I get started brainstorming all the things I want to do and learn, it's really easy for me to get carried away. So I tried to keep this list reasonable. I left things off like, learning to play the guitar, deciding that I would put that on next years list. This is where I ended up:

More of...
- Travel and adventure
- Baking
- Being outside
- Cooking intuitively (without a recipe)
- Learning to sew/knit/quilt/crochet...something in that area
- Friend-time
- Family-time

When I got to this point I felt there was one category missing. Something that felt more like a project list. You know, all those one-off things that you want to do but never seem to find the time to do? A great example of this is organizing photos/making photo albums. This has been on my list for, like, five years. And I have yet to do it. BUT, I still want to...really, I do. So, it goes on this list:

Things to do...
- Clean out and organize
- Donations
- Cooking class with the kids
- Make photo books (see?!?!)
- Learn Scrivener
- Read more writing books
- Make a vision board
- Take local trips
- Do January DM Resolution Reboot (this is underway, btw)

When I was done with all of this list making I found that I really liked this "categoried" approach. I even liked it enough to want to share it with all of you.

When I went back over my writing goals, I discovered that that list could be divided into these "Continue, Return to, More of, Things to do" categories, too. Things like: "Continue taking Masterclass writing classes," and "Return to journal writing," and "More of short story writing."

But, I'll tell you, I keep track of my writing goals on a monthly calendar and I have a lot more structure around my process and progress there (as most folks would do, with any job).

So now that I have my 2019 goals in place, and I've started down the path of achieving them, I want to make sure that I check in on those goals...that I don't forget today's New Year energy and passion behind them. So I keep them out where I can see them. And I look at them daily. And I hold myself accountable. Or, at least, I try to.

Because that's how we go after dreams. We pursue them, day in and day out. And we keep our eye on the prize. I feel comfortable saying that I've transformed my daily life over the last few years. The things I used to only wish for, are now a part of my reality. That's what goals can do.

So ask yourself this: What do I want to CONTINUE this year? What do I want to RETURN TO? What do I want MORE OF? And, What are some one-off projects I really want TO DO?

Until next time, here are some words to motivate you as you tackle your 2019 goals:

You are powerful.
You are wise.
You are free.
You are fierce.
You radiate love.
You shine.

Namaste.