I love New Year’s resolutions. I love the break between Christmas and after New Year’s Day that feels like a unique bubble of time each year. I use this time to clean out my home and my mind to prepare for the new year.
I used to make tons of grand goals every year and reach some of them, forget about others, and change even more – and that’s fine – except I would feel guilty about the ones I forgot or changed. Now I know that adding guilt doesn’t help.
I’ve started thinking about my goals for 2022. I have a few that I’m really committed to – which in the past I probably wouldn’t have thought of as “goals” because I already knew I was going to do them. My brain told me it had to be “more” to be a goal.
For example, barring some earth-shattering event, I will graduate with my master’s degree this year. I could write it off as “just a thing I’m doing,” or I could acknowledge the effort that it has taken. I put in years of pondering, then I took action, applied, and was accepted to a school, and then two years of consistent financial, time, and mental commitment to do “just what I’m doing” now. It was once a big goal, and this year it will be reality.
Are there things like that that you are writing off in your life? You are keeping humans alive – that’s a pretty big deal. What else do you know is "going to happen" this year that you can give yourself credit for?
Then there are the “extra” goals that I am still pondering. I don’t know what I’m truly committed to yet. That’s another big lesson I learned one year. We call them New Year's RESOLUTIONS, but most of the time, what we create are New Year’s wishes. When you make a RESOLUTION, you are RESOLVED to do something. Resolve means to “decide firmly on a course of action.” I think it would be great for me to take 15-30 minutes to write every day – journaling, self-coaching, musings, something like that. But I’m not yet resolved to do that, so I’m not making it a goal unless or until I decide that I’m committed to doing that.
Do you have New Year’s goals that are just wishes? Decide to ditch them or dedicate yourself to them. Leaving them as wishes will just create a wonderful opportunity for guilt.
However, there are goals that aren’t yet “given” (like getting my degree) and aren’t just wishes (like taking time to journal every day) that you and I can create to make 2022 a better year for ourselves, no matter what happens “out there.”
We know we want to do these goals and can choose to do if we decide to commit. What are some of your ideas? Cook better meals? Watch less television? Do yoga more? Run a 10K? Spend one-on-one time with each child? Go on a date each week? Spend more time in quiet reflection? Read more?
One goal that I am contemplating is reading the books on my shelf that I haven’t read. I’m not sure what the goal will look like yet, but I’m creating a pile of books that I’ve had on my shelf for a while that I think I want to read but haven’t yet. Maybe I’ll set some time aside each day. Perhaps I’ll tell myself to read the first 75 pages and then decide if it’s a book to read or release. Maybe once I see the whole pile, I’ll decide to discard even more of them or even all of them. I’m taking the time to decide how committed I am to this idea.
No matter what your goals and resolutions are, a vital part of reaching any goal is accountability. I know I am way better at reaching my goals when I have to be accountable.
We do it all through school. When the paper is due, we get it turned in. We may have taken the two weeks allowed to do it, or we may have done it all the night before, but when it is time to be accountable, we are. When you sign up to do a 10K on a particular day, you are much more likely to follow through with your training regimen than if you just decide that “sometime” you will run a 10K. You get the cans out to the curb when you know that the garbage is picked up on a certain day. We are so good at so many things when we are accountable.
This year I want to help you be accountable. I don’t want you to give up on your goals by the middle of February. I want you to succeed at what you want to succeed at! I’m offering to be your accountability buddy. I know you could just talk to your BFF and tell her what you’re going to do this year, and I hope you do. BUT when it’s February, and you tell her that the kids are sick, it’s cold outside, and you don’t want to do the goal that you totally wanted to do in January, she’s going to empathize (aren’t friend’s great?). You’re going to love her empathy and feel validated in giving up on your goal because she agrees that it is too hard when the kids are sick, and it’s cold outside. You deserve a break.
I’m going to hold you accountable. I want you to reach your goals, and I want you to let your BFF be your BFF. I will be your accountability coach. I have tools to help you get unstuck and achieve your goals no matter what else is happening around you. You really can get what you want.
I am offering you success in 2022.
When you sign up with me, you will get a 30-minute coaching call each month to report your progress, bring any problems or concerns you are facing to the call, and I’ll coach you through them—no need to stay stuck.
Then, in addition to your once-a-month call (you didn’t think I’d let you off that easy, did you?), you can check in online with me each week to report your progress and get encouragement and feedback. Your goal(s) will stay forefront in your mind and your plans as you plan and report weekly on your progress.
Can you imagine who you will be in December 2022 if you are accountable every week for making your goals and dreams come true? Can you imagine how many goals you can truly accomplish in 52 weeks? Can you imagine what it will be like to make continuous progress rather than starting and stopping and restarting your goals? It’s going to be amazing! You will have one-on-one coaching at your disposal every month and accountability every week. There’s nothing that can stop you from reaching your goals.
If you are ready and excited for an accountability coach get directly on my schedule here. We'll start by discussing your goals and if you would like to invest $1000 for the whole year – all 12 months or pay overtime in 3 payments of $333.33. After three months of payments (equal to or less than a car payment), you’ll forget about the money you spent and still have nine months of accountability and life-changing success ahead. I’m so excited for you.
If you are uncertain if having a personal life coach and accountability partner on your side is what you need, let’s talk about it and see if it’s a fit for you. You can get on my calendar here.
Here's to 2022!