New Year, New Goals
Happy New Year!
The change on the calendar on January 1st every year always gets me in an introspective mood. Something about the end of the "holiday season," the blank slate of a new year in front of me, punctuated by the cold, dark, and snowy landscape of winter stretching out before us. It feels like it's time to mentally hibernate (too bad we can't physically hibernate). It's a good time to curl up inside our thoughts, reflect on the past year, and consider what is coming.
Some people have a "word of the year," some people set goals. I have done some of both over the years. Statistically, setting specific goals (and writing them down) leads to better success in reaching those goals. I mean, it makes sense, if I don't set any goals I won't have any to reach, right? I used to get hung up on setting goals because I thought "what if something keeps me from attaining it? what if I change my mind in 3 months and no longer want that? what if I can't do it?" But one day I realized - goals are just ideas, they're not the law. They're not set in stone. AND the times I have set very specific goals, I have attained them!
In 2021 I set the goal to go to Slovenia within the next 3 years. I went in 2022! Setting the goal helped me to start planning how and when it would work. When I found out some of my family was already planning a trip in 2022, it made it easy to set a date - I would go with them! Then I was able to start saving money, and make more specific plans like flights and lodging.
In 2018 or so I set a goal to show some of my artwork in an Elkhart Art Walk, and I did it that summer! If I hadn't set that specific goal, it would have been a thought that floated in my head probably for the rest of my life, never really landing.
Have I set goals that I didn't attain? Of course! And that's ok. I've learned to take goal setting a little less seriously, and to view it as something flexible and fluid. And I've had a lot more success with things than I would have expected.
I don’t have a word for 2026 nailed down yet, but it’s something in the realm of quiet, peace, contentment, settled. The last 5 years have been rocky for a lot of the world. And I think the world is going to stay rocky for a while. 2020 was REALLY really rough, and I’ve spent the years since then in recovery mode (words like “rest,” “healing” and “growth” have been themes for me). The settled contentment I am looking for is more of a calm that comes after growth, not the rest needed after trauma. The peace that comes when life’s experiences have brought you strength and wisdom. I’ll be taking some time in the next couple weeks to write out my specific goals both for my personal life and for my business, and I’ll be sure to share them with you when they’re ready.
If you have goals for this year, or a word of the year, I'd love to hear about them.
