What will you do with your 2022? Think about that. You have a year ahead of you (God willing) - that’s three hundred sixty-five days.
I ask, “What will you do?” rather than “What are your resolutions?” because it is not about what you want as much as the actions that you take to get there. You have to think in detail, plan, and take action. Move and stick to your plan to get goals accomplished.
Three hundred sixty-five days seems like a lot of time, but in truth, it will fly by if you don’t plan for it. Three hundred sixty-five days is 8760 hours. What will I do with my 8760 hours, and how will I use those hours to contribute to the world and live a better life? Wait, today is Sunday, and I am writing this blog. I am now down to less than 8725 hours, so the clock is ticking away my year already.
What will I do with my 2022? When I ask myself this question, my first thought is, I don’t know. My thoughts are overwhelmed by setting resolutions or goals because I don’t want to fail. Fear of failure is something that keeps us feeling stuck in indecision. I know, you think, “I will be lucky just to keep my head above water, feed the kids and pets, drag my ass to work every day, and if I plan one vacation, it will be a miracle.” I want to challenge your thinking. That kind of scarcity thinking is what most often keeps us stuck.
I do not want you to feel pressure or anxiety about your year, but if you don’t plan something and take some action, you will be in the same place next year that you are in today. So, let me help you get started by offering some suggestions.
Start with reflection. Reflect on the things that happened for you and to you last year. What things went well for you, and what things didn’t? We make big plans most of the time, but life has a different idea. Thinking about what went well and what went wrong is the self-reflection needed to glean the lessons that your life offered to you. Even really terrible things have a way of helping you learn something important. Reflection helps bring clarity to your experiences.
Allow yourself to Dream. I encourage you to do some dreaming at the beginning of the year to focus on what you want. Do you have debt that needs paying, vacations you want to take, certifications you wish to gain, or things you want to learn?
Dream big. I don’t just mean set “reasonable goals” that you know you can accomplish. Choose at least one goal that scares you and makes you feel those butterflies of anxiety in your stomach. If your brain starts screaming that you are not ready, you are in the right neighborhood. List those dreams out even if they feel impossible and vow to take them on.
Once you have your dreams and wishes in front of you, the next step is breaking them down into manageable baby steps. I want you to overestimate what you think you can do; there is no harm in that. Reaching any goal, for example, paying off debt, will be done twice as fast as you thought if you get intense about your need to take action.
Set your intentions and honor yourself. When you have some big scary goals written down, you will start to feel overwhelmed. Feeling overwhelmed and pushing forward anyway is where your power lies. Setting your intentions to act and honoring yourself to follow through despite your emotions creates success.
Choose a mantra or saying to keep you on track when you want to quit. Mine is always from my friend Rocky Balboa. “It ain’t how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” Or “Every champion was once a contender who refused to give up.” You pick one that works for you, then read it every time you feel like quitting on yourself.
Vow to be grateful and work to be better each day, and 2022 will open up for you.
Now get to work!
Dr. Julie Cappel
“How long should you try? Until.” ―Jim Rohn
“Successful men and women keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” ―Conrad Hilton.
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