Now that the holidays are (just barely!) over, it’s time to look toward the new year, and spend some time imagining, dreaming, and setting goals + intentions for 2019.

I’ll be honest: I’ve set a lot of intentions over the years that I did not even come close to achieving. Things I wanted to accomplish, milestones I wanted to hit, skills I wanted to improve.

Some of these intentions just seemed overwhelming, like they could only be achieved by some miracle, others I was just not clear about.

But what I’ve learned in the last couple years, is that to chart a clear course in the new year, I need to have vision, but I also need a road map.

I need a clear path from point A to point B.

It’s fun to take detours and explore sometimes, but when you’ve got big plans, you also need to know how you’re going to get there.

Now, intention setting is important any time of year to help us be clear on our goals and set a trajectory for our lives. But often we spend time in the dreaming phase, and forget to take time to reflect on what we’ve already accomplished, and how we are going to accomplish our goals.

Reflecting on what’s gone well before is important for helping us set the tone for our new goals. First of all, it helps us see that we actually did accomplish some things in the past year. Maybe we didn’t get the million dollar raise we were hoping for, but we did organize the basement, take that fun vacation, and complete a major project at work. These are all things to celebrate.

Sometimes in the hustle and bustle that is modern life, we forget to celebrate the small victories. Or we do, but then those victories get swept away in laundry, carpools, and bills. Revisiting our past successes helps us create a mindset where we believe we are capable of accomplishing things and having success.  It creates a positive frame of mind for us to start contemplating our future goals.

When we dream it’s important to really let ourselves imagine what we really want. Sometimes we are held back by what we think is “realistic” or achievable. We believe that if we reach too high we will just be disappointed.

And I totally understand this. I used to be here, too, and worried that to really voice my dreams and aspirations would just invite in the inevitable disappointment that would follow.

But how disappointing is that?!

Allowing ourselves to explore our wildest dreams can also help us clarify why exactly we want those things. Dreaming of living on the beach in Hawaii? Why? Do you love the ocean? Do you desire more freedom and less structure?

Perhaps moving to Hawaii isn’t in the cards right now, but you can make travel to the ocean a priority, or find other ways to create more freedom in your current life. It may not be beach life, but it can help you partially fulfill these dreams. If you never acknowledge these desires, it’s hard to work with them.

Finally, we have to create actionable steps that will help us achieve our goals. It’s not enough to say we want to lose 10 lbs. How are you going to do it?

Maybe step 1 is joining the gym. Step 2 might be finding a workout buddy. Step 3 is uploading a pump up mix on your phone or ipod. Step 4 is creating accountability–a sticker chart (yes this works for adults too!) or a daily check in with a partner. Step 5 is to change your diet….etc.

You see how breaking things down into actionable steps actually makes it sound much more doable? When we only have big goals, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But reminding ourselves that we’ve achieved great things before, and then breaking those goals down into smaller steps makes us feel like we have the roadmap to succeed.

We still have to stick to the roadmap, but at least we know how to get there. Plus, you can cross things off as you go along, so even if you haven’t lost the 10 lbs yet, you can see that you’ve made progress. It’s easy to get discouraged when we don’t see progress right away, but listing out your steps helps you see the progress you have made, even if it’s not obvious.

So take some time and reflect and plan.

Need some help?

Join me for Align + Shine: Your 2019 Goal- Mapping Webinar.

In this live webinar, we’ll take time to reflect, dream, and then create a road map of actionable steps to help us achieve our goals in 2019.

I’m sharing the tools I use in my personal life to help me actually take action on my goals without feeling overwhelmed.

Whether you’ve been trying to save up for IVF, finally get a handle on your Hashimoto diagnosis, or simply implement some lifestyle changes to support your hormone health, this webinar will help you create a plan you can follow as the new year begins.

Instead of creating intentions this year, create a goal map.

Join me for this free webinar here>>

The webinar will take place live on Monday, December 31st at 2pm MST, but no worries if you can’t make it live, because you’ll also get a copy of the recording.

I’d love to see you there and help you take the first steps to really start 2019 off with a bang! I’ll be doing the work right alongside you 🙂

Plus you’ll get your free Goal Mapping Guide PDF to help you really create clarity for 2019.

Sign up here.

Grab some tea, find a cozy nook, and sit down with me on December 31st to reflect on 2018, dream about 2019, and plan out how you’re going to shine this year.

Best wishes for a happy new year!

xo