Goal Setting Tips from a Life Coach

Thank you 2020, Welcome 2021!

And just like that, 2020 is over! I remembered sharing this message when I facilitated a year-ender business community gathering and organized a Christmas Thanksgiving outreach event. “2020 may have been a year of shocks and surprises yet we can still make it count with a big celebration of blessings”. No doubt it was a very challenging year, yet I find it pass the fastest after having spent most of it at home and the most meaningful one after reducing almost everything to the core.  Yes, I am welcoming the New Year with the gifts of reflection and learning from 2020 – reinforced values, stronger faith, new perspective, deeper love and gratitude.

At Haraya, we started our 2021 strategic planning session as early as October 2020 building from a positive momentum of thoughtful investments in ourselves, our company’s brand, clients, partners and programs. This geared us up for another new notable year. If you have been following our journals, we ended the year with some thought provoking questions like what gifts did 2020 bring you? What wisdom did you gain from the struggles of the past year? If 2021 were to be your best year, what would you be doing? These hopefully helped you in your reflection as you move forward to 2021. If you haven’t yet started, join me in this journal as we kick off the new year together.

It’s that time of the year when this quote “Forget resolutions this new year, set an intention” got me into reflective thinking.  It led me to some heart and mind opening articles highlighting the difference between resolution and intention.  How mindset and framing have influence over one and the other.  How the value of purpose and practice make a difference in one’s commitment.  I learned that resolution is coming from a perspective that something is wrong with me, that I am not good enough and something has to be changed or fixed in my life.  Resolution sounded more like of a rigid ‘either I do it or else’ command. Good if I’m able to fulfill it however if not, it can lead to a cycle of disempowering thoughts and feeling of failure, guilt, shame or self-judgment which at worst may feed into negative self-worth.  Intention, on the other hand, comes from an empowering space that I am good enough and whole. It is not about what I should be doing rather it’s more of who I want to be.  Something that I need to actively work on for it to manifest in my life as it allows for more room to move and adapt to my circumstances. It is an aim that guides my decisions and actions, a deliberate commitment to align my actions to my purpose and values – enabling me to live my purpose. 

What I loved the most about the concept of intention is that it’s not a one-time event or one off action.  It signifies our active role in continuously creating our dream life.  It nurtures character building of commitment, trust and letting go.  We move forward with it without being attached to the outcome – it’s the journey more than the destination and a practice for progress rather than perfection.  All these inspired me to be more deliberate in setting my intentions to achieve my goals. After all, what can be more fulfilling than living each day moving steps closer to my purpose?

Here are some tips and guide questions that I find helpful in setting and living my intentions:

1. Reflect on and/or re-write your purpose statement
   1. How has your purpose served your life?
   1. What makes your purpose relevant?
2. Be clear with what you want to nurture in your life
   1. What specific life area needs attention from you right now?
   1. What will this nurturing bring to your life?
3. Set your intention – a statement that relates to your purpose
   1. What do you want to be living, feeling or contributing to yourself and others?
   1. How you can bring about that nurturing in your life?
4. State your goals in a gain frame
   1. What benefits will you gain from achieving you goal?
   1. What positive impact will this goal have in your life?
5. Develop strategy and action plans to achieve your goals
   1. What strategies are supportive of your goals?
   1. What realistic action steps are you committing to live by?
6. Acknowledge and celebrate your wins
   1. What milestone(s) did you set around your goals?
   1. How will you reward yourself for the small and big wins?
7. Learn from your setback
   1. What did you learn from your challenges?
   1. What will you do differently?
8. Enjoy the journey

I can’t wait and am curious to know, what intentions are you going to set this year that your future self will thank you for?

Let us welcome the New Year with a trusting and grateful heart for the many more blessings God has in stored for us. Wishing you all a Blessed & Peaceful New Year!

God bless!

Lea