At Soulspring January is all about goal-setting; getting your dreams prioritized and your action plan set for the year. Why am I talking about January in September? With just over three months of the year left, it’s time to evaluate your progress towards your goals.
We begin the New Year with such optimism, don’t we? It all seems so attainable in January. Plus we have 11 more months to work our plan. But sometimes in spite of our best efforts and planning, we don’t consistently take the action that is necessary, and with time running out we chalk up another failed attempt at reaching our dreams. “There’s always next year,” we say.
The truth is that we are entering what I believe to be one of the most productive times of the entire year. Even if you haven’t thought about your goals since January you still have time to make some real progress and make them a reality. Here’s are 4 steps to get you back on track:
THE WHAT: First, you need to remember what it was that you wanted to achieve. Was your goal specific? For example, instead of saying you want to lose weight, you must state the exact number of pounds. You also want to consider your progress year to date. If you haven’t done any work toward your goal, why? Was your plan too aggressive? Were you lacking belief that your goal was actually possible? Use this new insight to revise your plan as you work through the steps below.
THE WHY: Don’t underestimate the importance of why you wanted to achieve your goal in the first place. Chances are if it was important to you then, it’s even more important now! Really visualize what achieving your goal would mean to your life and the lives of those around you. And, although it can be uncomfortable, it’s also important to visualize what it would mean to not achieve your goal. What would you be depriving yourself, your loved ones, the world? Make it real by feeling the emotions behind these revelations and putting it into writing in a journal or incorporate it into your actual plan so it’s fresh in your mind. You can achieve anything if it’s important enough. Make it important.
THE HOW: Now you are ready to dust off your earlier plan. Re-evaluate the steps you identified to make your dream a reality. Check off any that you have accomplished and adjust any remaining actions and tasks by determining if they are still crucial and then make any necessary shifts. This is also the time to ensure that your plan is achievable. If you plan too aggressively, it’s impossible to keep up and you’re likely to fail before you begin. We understand the plight of the busy woman and for that reason you will often hear the Soul Sisters say, “Don’t underestimate the power of baby steps.” You would be surprised at how much a woman can achieve by just taking two or three small (sometimes even tiny) steps each day. These small actions add up over the course of a week, month and year. The development of Soulspring Groups is just one example of this theory put into action!
THE WHEN: Chances are that back in January you set target dates and deadlines for your action steps. Most likely these will need to be adjusted to reflect a new timeline, and that’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up for being behind, instead celebrate your new dedication and promise yourself some added incentive or a reward once you achieve your goal. It’s surprising what a treat or reward can do to drive you toward achievement. Make your reward something that really motivates you to put in the hard work!
Don’t let another year, and another goal, go by. There are still 109 full days left in 2009 and that means over 218 baby steps can be taken toward your goal. Get started now and New Year’s Eve is going to take on a whole new meaning!
Kim
Sister of Soul
We begin the New Year with such optimism, don’t we? It all seems so attainable in January. Plus we have 11 more months to work our plan. But sometimes in spite of our best efforts and planning, we don’t consistently take the action that is necessary, and with time running out we chalk up another failed attempt at reaching our dreams. “There’s always next year,” we say.
The truth is that we are entering what I believe to be one of the most productive times of the entire year. Even if you haven’t thought about your goals since January you still have time to make some real progress and make them a reality. Here’s are 4 steps to get you back on track:
THE WHAT: First, you need to remember what it was that you wanted to achieve. Was your goal specific? For example, instead of saying you want to lose weight, you must state the exact number of pounds. You also want to consider your progress year to date. If you haven’t done any work toward your goal, why? Was your plan too aggressive? Were you lacking belief that your goal was actually possible? Use this new insight to revise your plan as you work through the steps below.
THE WHY: Don’t underestimate the importance of why you wanted to achieve your goal in the first place. Chances are if it was important to you then, it’s even more important now! Really visualize what achieving your goal would mean to your life and the lives of those around you. And, although it can be uncomfortable, it’s also important to visualize what it would mean to not achieve your goal. What would you be depriving yourself, your loved ones, the world? Make it real by feeling the emotions behind these revelations and putting it into writing in a journal or incorporate it into your actual plan so it’s fresh in your mind. You can achieve anything if it’s important enough. Make it important.
THE HOW: Now you are ready to dust off your earlier plan. Re-evaluate the steps you identified to make your dream a reality. Check off any that you have accomplished and adjust any remaining actions and tasks by determining if they are still crucial and then make any necessary shifts. This is also the time to ensure that your plan is achievable. If you plan too aggressively, it’s impossible to keep up and you’re likely to fail before you begin. We understand the plight of the busy woman and for that reason you will often hear the Soul Sisters say, “Don’t underestimate the power of baby steps.” You would be surprised at how much a woman can achieve by just taking two or three small (sometimes even tiny) steps each day. These small actions add up over the course of a week, month and year. The development of Soulspring Groups is just one example of this theory put into action!
THE WHEN: Chances are that back in January you set target dates and deadlines for your action steps. Most likely these will need to be adjusted to reflect a new timeline, and that’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up for being behind, instead celebrate your new dedication and promise yourself some added incentive or a reward once you achieve your goal. It’s surprising what a treat or reward can do to drive you toward achievement. Make your reward something that really motivates you to put in the hard work!
Don’t let another year, and another goal, go by. There are still 109 full days left in 2009 and that means over 218 baby steps can be taken toward your goal. Get started now and New Year’s Eve is going to take on a whole new meaning!
Kim
Sister of Soul
Soulspiration of the Week:
“The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal.” ~Benjamin Mays
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