In the perfect world, I was expecting to spend one of the last weekends of 2016 treating myself to a personal retreat. Doors closed. Writing down my goals for 2017. Organizing my life. Filling myself with inspiration and motivation. Carving out all the plans I have for YOU!
I’m here to tell you – the world isn’t perfect. My entire 2017 year was redefined in a blink of an eye when I enrolled a week ago for a 10-month intensive life coaching certification program, starting in January. Boom. That pretty much covers 2017! Well not completely, but when the emails started coming from the coaching school to get me on board with what the program will involve, it definitely delivered an initial sense of overwhelm. I’m beyond excited, for sure – how can I not be excited about a year that is going to bring so much growth?
AND … there is the website update currently in progress. Who knew that project was going to take So. Much. Time. Yes, I should have known, but sometimes we all have this uncanny ability to see the end desired result without seeing all the steps it takes to get there. (Ahem … note to self.)
AND … throw in a month of holiday craziness – this is December after all. Suffice it to say that the personal retreat weekend has vanished. Completely.
So what do you do when things don’t unfold the way you were expecting? You move to Plan B. I’m not going to let 2017 begin without getting my goals written down. My Plan B equals KEEP IT SIMPLE. Make it manageable. But get it done! Because … “a goal without a plan is just a wish”. Neither you or I want to experience a year without progress.
Here’s my Plan B: I call these 3 by 3’s. If you’re a prolific and regular journaler, you may have answers at your fingertips. Or – this might take require some contemplation. Which is exactly the point. Take your time. There are no right or wrong answers and you don’t have to answer everything. These are some suggestions that might get your process moving. If coming up with three answers is too challenging, try one!
Let’s start by reflecting back and celebrating 2016!
Three good things that happened
Three goals you successfully accomplished
Three things you wanted to do, but didn’t get around to doing them
Three times that stand out when you did something totally out of the ordinary and fun
Three things you want to change / improve – personal or work
Three things you’re ready to discard in your life (something that is no longer serving you)
Looking forward to 2017 and creating your vision!!
Three new things you want to add into your life this year
Three habit changes you are committed to making in your routine
Three things you want to pay more attention to, or give more significance to in your life
Three goals for 2017 (Yes, you can have more than 3. You can have as many as you want!)
For each goal you write down, work backward: what steps do you need to take to reach that goal?
Write down 3 (or more) action steps for each
Finally, remember you’re doing this for YOU. You’re not being graded on it. You can change/update/revise/modify your vision and goals whenever you want. In fact, I hope you will! If you find yourself feeling stuck, go back to the process. This is your life. I want you to redefine what is possible for 2017!!!
