3 Easy Ways to Start the Year Right
If you’re anything like me you’re feeling inundated by salads and weight loss. From 5 million ways to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks, to new planners and new programs, it’s exhausting. I am continually reminding myself to silence all of the noise and remember that this is me, in our beautiful imperfect life. That in order to start this year right I simply need to remember what is most important to ME and live that out with intention each day. Clear the noise out and START this year with simplified and intentional focus.
So friends, I want to help you do the same thing with 3 of the the easiest ways to start the year right.
1. Start with one, everyday
Big goals and bigger dreams are my kind of jam. But the reality is that when we’re only looking at the BIG PICTURE it’s so easy to feel overwhelmed. The BIG PICTURE feels so polished and perfect that it can be difficult to see how to even get there.
I’ll tell you a little secret, that big picture begins right here in our everyday. The first step towards it happens right now, right here with your coffee cup in hand. It starts with this question ‘what one thing can I do today to step toward that big picture?’
You want to get healthier? Make one ‘healthier’ choice today. Go for a walk after dinner, choose the salad at lunch instead of the burger, drink water in place of one other drink - take one small step. Just one.
You want a happier marriage? Give an extra hug, ask one question and look at them while they answer, do one thing you know they appreciate, let them choose the show you watch tonight, or what they want for dinner. Just do one.
You have a big goal or dream? Do one thing that moves you toward it. Take 20 minutes to research the new equipment you need, send an email to one person to get the information you need in order to make the next decision, ask one person for help, schedule one appointment. Just do one thing.
It’s the small everyday acts compounded one on top of another that move us toward our big dreams. What would happen this year if you did one small thing each day?
2. Intentional Week
You did it, you did one small thing today. Look in the mirror and give yourself a high five. Look yourself in the eye and literally high five yourself - I bet you’ll laugh and then you’ll realize, hey that was great. You made a healthy choice, you thought of someone else, you took one step.
Now look at this week, just this one week, don’t worry about planning any further than that. Now look at the days, what things you know you have to do, appointments, work schedules, kid schedules…do you see any 30 minute chunks of time you can give yourself?
Block out just one of those 30 minute chunks each day for you to take one more step toward your big picture. I bet you have some thoughts already on what you need to do, what you could do - jot just one of those thoughts down on your calendar so that when your appointment with YOU pops up you know exactly what you’re going to do.
Maybe you’re going to write that email you’ve been thinking about sending to a magazine you’re hoping to write for.
Maybe you’re going to make the bed, or clean out 1 cupboard, go for a walk, or read that book on parenting or mental health.
It is amazing what we can accomplish in 1 week with just a little forethought and planning.
3. Calendar
Now pull out that BIG yearly calendar or planner and look at the next month or two. What weekends/days do you have free? What projects or trips are you hoping to do, what’s that BIG DREAM you’re stepping toward? Put those things on the calendar now. Invite those friends to dinner, or out to the concert - plan ahead.
It is kind of silly I know. Our mind tells us of course I’m going to make time for the things I’m hoping for, the things I want to do and accomplish but there is this mysterious thing that happens when we don’t plan…. time slips by, the days turn into weeks and all of a sudden we look back at a month or two and think
‘why didn’t I work on that project that weekend when I was free?’
‘why didn’t I go for that bike ride’
‘why didn’t I go on that date with my husband or friend?’
‘why did I spend my time/money on that when I really wanted to save for the big trip?’
Our minds loose focus of the big picture in the midst of the everyday. It’s easy to forget what we’re saving for, why we’re working so hard, why we said no to going out tonight so we could get our to do’s done so we can go out next Friday.
Help your heart by planning now to do the things you’re hoping for. It will be so much easier to take the little steps each day knowing that you’re stepping toward the BIG PICTURE DREAM with every baby step.
If you’re looking at this thinking I want to stay true to my heart, I want to go after my BIG PICTURE but you just can’t figure out how to go about it alone come join me in my Online Community, this is exactly what we’re talking about.
We are cheering each other on toward our big pictures by tackling the little dreams everyday. Come tackle yours with me. I know how hard it is, I know all about the mental road blocks and barriers, so much so that I wrote my latest book Dream Catcher all about it. I wrote it as a guided journal just for you so that as you read you’ll have space to jot down ideas, with questions to prompt you to help you dig even deeper into your everyday to find the baby steps to help you get to your big picture.
I see you friend, I’m here cheering so loudly for you that you’ll take today, this week, this year to go after your heart. I know how it has changed everything for me and I know it will do the same for you too.
