4 Questions to Guide You in the New Year
Is 2021 going to be better than 2020 for most of us? Highly likely.
I’m an optimistic person, but I think it’s a mistake to set your expectations incredibly high. Yes, people are starting to get the vaccine and more will in the coming months. However, we don’t yet know when healthy people in the U.S. between the ages of late teen to senior citizen can get it, and the vaccine has not been tested on children. It’s impossible to know how and when these developments will play out.
Despite these uncertainties, it’s still important to dream big. Experts say that writing a goal on paper or even saying it aloud – ideally every day - increases the chances you will achieve it.
I believe in dreaming big and having only basic plans because we need to be realistic. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that plans can go out the window in a second. Flexibility is key. You may have read the quote that I’m taking into this year from The Accidental Creative podcast: “Embrace the flow of the river.”
Yes, there will be challenges ahead but we will tackle them one day at a time. When times are hard, your goal doesn’t have to be to survive and thrive, it can simply be to survive and arrive. Yet it’s still important to dream because the time will come when more opportunities abound.
Here are 4 questions to ask yourself to help you do so for the coming year and beyond.
1. What would I do if I could not fail? Imagine you have no financial, professional, or personal obstacles in your way, and you had all the confidence in the world. What would you do? See below for how to make a vision board, which may help you answer this question.
2. What would a wildly successful year look like for me? If there is a course you’ve been meaning to take or a promotion you want to get, determine a timeline for when and how you’ll get there.
3. What am I not willing to do or experience to get my wildly successful year? These are things that are non-negotiable for you. For example, I know that exercising a few times a week and having time at night with my family and to read fuel me, so I protect that time as much as possible.
4. What did I enjoy doing in the past but don’t have time do anymore? I’m not saying you’re going to have time for these things in 2021, but it’s important to have goals and try to incorporate these things you loved back into your life at some point in your future. As luck would have it, a tap class is being offered nearby this month, so I signed up! I haven’t taken a class in over two years.
If you really want to go all out, here’s an inspiring idea that I read over the holiday break. It’s from The Gift by Dr. Edith Eger:
“Make a vision board – a visual representation of what you want to create or embrace in your life. Cut out pictures and words from magazines, old calendars, etc. – there are no rules, just see what attracts you. Paste the images and words to a sheet of poster board or a big piece of cardboard. Notice what patterns emerge. This is a wonderful practice to do together with dear friends… Keep your vision board close by and look at it every day. Let this intuitive creation be an arrow to follow.”
Keep your dreams in mind and your plans flexible.