Happy 2022 MPI THCC!  It’s the restart time of year! It’s a chance to make changes, to make corrections, and do better. Like most people, I have made new year resolutions in the past. I’ve made a ton of exercise more, diet, and lose weight goals. I’ve given up sugar, alcohol, bread (sometimes all at once, sigh).  I’ve wanted to read more, to go on more date nights, spend more time with friends and family, visit my parents more, remodel the house, organize the house, clean more, get more massages (that seemed like a good one!). It’s added up to a lot of goals, most of which ran out of steam, energy, time, and care. It was way too many goals that didn’t align towards a greater person or purpose. 

So, for the past few years, I’ve shifted more towards figuring out what I really want my life to look like in ten years. What makes me happy and fulfilled? How do I build a life that has more of the good stuff and not so much of the hard stuff? If this appeals to you and you would like to do this exercise, I find that journaling is the best way to accomplish this.   

It looks something like, where do you want to live, how do you want to live, and what do you want to spend time doing. Ten years is kind of arbitrary, it just feels like a solid chunk of time, but it could be shorter and it could be longer—you decide. Take some time to dream about this and jot down some ideas. What feels good? Once you have a vision, then write down some general objectives that would need to be achieved to get you there. Have a good brainstorm session and just write it all down.

Next, think about 3 years from now, what on your brainstorm list of objectives needs to lay the foundation for the life you want? These are the goals you want to focus on. Thinking about the new year, get specific and list out the tasks it would take to accomplish these goals. Take into consideration what is most important to you or what would move you closest to the goals. Think about how to break it up into the 3 years.  You may be the kind that likes to top fill and get a lot accomplished in the beginning, or you may be the kind that likes to even out the work.

Now you have a framework for the life you want; an answer to the “Why do I do this?” What I have found is that having a strong Why keeps you going for the long run. These aren’t just new year’s resolutions, but a way to move towards your heart’s desires. So instead of listing out a bunch of stuff as new year resolutions, I’m just going to keep going with my life—this one beautiful, amazing life!