We are 7 days into 2022 already and it's okay if you haven't figured out your goals, are struggling with motivation and still feel a little lost. You see, flipping the calendar does not mean that you magically have your life together. January 1st is honestly just another day but to many, it represents a clean slate, a new beginning or a new chapter in a new book. This my friends, is where the pressure comes into play and to be honest, we've all had a rough (almost) 2 years and no one needs more pressure.
(If you are ready to set goals and need some guidance, be sure to subscribe to my e-mail list so you can receive my FREE Goal Setting Workbook)
Typically, I am someone who has their vision board 100% done, printed and perched in a place that I can't ignore it by New Years Day. That was not the case this year because I just didn't feel connected to goals. I was tough on myself at first fearing I was lost and something was wrong with me but that was not the case. Once I stopped beating myself up and allowed myself to reflect on 2021, I realized I was struggling because I was in awe of what I achieved last year. I am one of the lucky people who had a really good year, but I know so many people who did not. Either scenario can leave you feeling lost and wondering what's next.
Heck, last year left me not wanting to writing or podcast, hence the 4 month laps in posts from me. I just needed to take some things off of my plate and if you did that with things in life or feel like you need to in 2022... IT'S OKAY TO DO SO!
I think the one thing we all need to do this year and learn to love ourselves more and show ourselves more grace. We need to lose the hustle mentality. We do not need to always be doing and planning and posting and talking. We need to learn how to acknowledge what we want and how we want to feel in this life, because life isn't guaranteed and we should make the most of it while we can. We need to learn how to set boundaries to protect our peace and happiness.
Good year or bad year, no matter where you are in life right now, I highly recommend that you sit and reflect on last year to create an "Anchor Word" or "Word of the Year" for 2022. This word can act as a guide post for you throughout the year. It doesn't put the pressure on you that goals can, and it can act as the first step in the journey of creating the type of life you want to live.
To find your word ask yourself:
How am I feeling?
How do I want to feel?
What do I need to do in order to that feel?
What do I want do more of?
What do I want to do less of?
What behavior do I need to change to make that happen?
Once you have answered these, make a list of words that fit your theme. Some examples are words like:
FOCUS
CONNECT
EXPLORE
LEARN
ADVENTURE
TRUST
FULFILL
HEAL
Once you have your list sit with these words for a little while until one feels like it could act as a guide for you this year. (I had a list of 8 words this year and it took me a few days to fully connect to one). This word will remind you of how you want to feel and what you want to do more of this year, which is much easier to do than sitting and listing goals can be. This word can make a major impact on your life without you even realizing it.
I focused on my word more than my goals last year and I was surprised when I realized that I achieved (or came close to achieving) almost everything on my vision board! That is the power that one word can have!
Each time I made a decision last year, I asked myself if it was in line with my word (which was EXPLORE). If it was, I said yes and I didn't overthink it. If it didn't I said no and I didn't apologize for it. This lead to one of my happiest years in a long time, and also lead to me feeling a little lost because how do you top your happiest year?!
The good news is that you don't have to top it or fear that a lot of bad is waiting for you because you received a lot of good. What you do need to realize is that feelings and perspective are all designed in your mind. How you chose to react to things will dictate the kind of life that you have.
You have to train your mind to be stronger than your emotions or else you'll lose yourself every time.
(Read that again, please)
This anchor word can be the first step in building a stronger mind and controlling your emotions. To regaining your peace and clarity, which ultimately allows you to regain control of your life. Don't you want to feel more in control of your life?
As I stated in the title of this post, a new year does not erase your struggles but it is up to you to change how you view those struggles and flip the script on how they impact you. You are allowed to live your life on your own timeline. You don't have to have it all figured out, but you do have to work on what's not working for you if you ever expect it to improve.
One word. That is all I am asking you chose today... Are you ready?
