A Few Golden Nuggets On Goals

It's that time of year when many women start thinking about goals and decide to make new years resolutions.  A time-honored tradition, of course, but not always one that sees success. 

I have to tell you that I'm not a big fan of New Year's resolutions. 

I used to make resolutions every single year – and usually, my resolutions were around losing weight. I'd swear that starting on January first, I'd hit the gym and start eating in a more healthy way. Or I’d start a new diet. 

I'd always do pretty well for a week or two – sometimes even a few months. Quite often I’d even lose some weight. And, even if I did, I still felt miserable – constantly worrying about gaining the weight back or (even at a size two, which I managed to get down to once) that I wasn’t small enough. 

Then, inevitably, I'd slip back into my old habits. 

Making New Year's resolutions year after year, only to let yourself down, does not lead to a well-lived and well-loved life. 

Now, goals? Yes! Absolutely. I am a big believer in setting big goals to achieve great dreams.

In fact, the bigger the goal, the better. 

I like to choose one extraordinary goal for the year, every year. And, I ask the women I coach in the School of Self-Image to do the same thing when they join my membership program. 

One big goal. Just one. It's easy to get off track when you try to accomplish too many big goals. 

The other thing I like to do every year is select my word for the year. And, last year, I decided to make it a self-image word of the year, which by the way, was “audacious” for the year of 2021. 

Now, you may be wondering what a word of the year has to do with goals, goal setting, or goal achievement. 

You might be surprised to hear that your word of the year is highly influential in your ability to reach your big goals for the year. 

Ready to say Buh-bye to letting yourself down? 

Here are a few golden nuggets on goals.

Start With One, Big, Extraordinary Goal 

I used to be a woman who set small goals for myself.

Today, I set big, audacious goals for myself each and every year: the bigger the goal, the more extraordinary, the better. 

When you set your extraordinary goals, be sure they are goals that motivate you. Your plan should play an essential role in the bigger picture of your life. 

Take some time to reflect. Does your goal align with the woman you are striving to be? 

Not all goals are created equal, but they all require time, effort, and commitment; if you're not motivated by them, you may not invest the energy needed to achieve them. 

Think Smart. Experts say that for a goal to be effective and powerful, it needs to be SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

Once I've set my goal, I set small, daily, actionable plans and habits that lead me to achieve my bigger goal. 

And, I act as if. 

You see, to achieve your goals, you must start living today as if you're already there. Live from your future. As Joe Dispensa so aptly put it, "To be happy with yourself in the present moment while maintaining a dream of your future is a grand recipe for manifestation."

If you want to create a life you love, you must start living as if you already have it. That means showing up for life as if living from your future. 

Choose Your Word Of The Year

Some of you may be familiar with the concept of choosing a word of the year. I've been doing this practice for many, many years. And I love how it gives me direction, how I'm able to focus, how a word of the year helps me decide what is a yes and what is a no. 

My word of the year helps me determine how I need to think about things. It shows me how I need to be showing up in my life.

Every year I choose a word of the year, and I encourage the women I coach in the School of Self-Image to do the same. 

There are no rules for choosing your word of the year - You can't get it wrong. So you don't need to spend too much time on it, but you will intuit what's right for you.  

There are a few tips for choosing one, so start with these and go nuts. Choose something extraordinary and maybe even a little bit scary.  

Start by choosing an adjective – your word of the year should be a "being" word. Who will your word allow you to become?

An adjective describes the being-ness of you. 

When you're thinking about your word of the year, look ahead and think about the extraordinary goal you plan to accomplish this year, which describes who you are and what you intend to achieve in 2022.  

Give yourself some time to reflect on the word that gets you excited and maybe even makes you a tiny bit nervous.

I've chosen many different words of the year over the past. Each year my word has a different meaning and a different intention. 

Creating a life that you love 

Goal setting is powerful and life-changing. Setting goals allows you to focus on the important stuff, both personally and professionally, and it provides you with a clear path to follow to become the woman you are striving to be and create a life that you love. 

Goal setting allows you to grow and transform your self-image and your life; but, more importantly, setting extraordinary goals helps you to see how far you've come and can keep you motivated to keep going.

One intentional word for the year. 

One extraordinary goal for the year. One. One big extraordinary goal and one only. 

Want to learn more and join other like-minded women who are on a similar path? Get on the waitlist today so you can be the first to know when the doors to the School of Self-Image open.