How is the new year planning going for you? I’m told by my astrology buddies that many Planets are in play and that this is a time of great change. So this year dream BIG people!
If you are like me, though, be careful not to get carried away and set too many intentions or goals. This just diffuses your energy and effort, making it harder to focus and actually realize those big dreams.
Having a big dream doesn’t mean you have to have a complicated life.
Staying on track toward your goals is easier to do when you are clear on what you want and why. Staying grounded and aligned with your purpose does more to facilitate progress than endless to-do lists. And I’ve discovered that it’s good to keep your heart and mind open to allow the unseen forces to help us get to where we want to go.
Choose only 5 goals.
I recommend you start by picking a single intention for 5 different areas of your life. So that’s 5 total. (I like to use my 5 portals as categories. See gorgeouslyhealthy.com/portals/ for a description of the 5 portals.)
It’s easy to let one area of life monopolize our goals, and then before you know it you’ve set up 10, 20 or more intentions in that arena alone. Its like a menu that has too many options and makes us not want to order anything or, worse, order the burger and fries! We humans do better with fewer options when it comes to clarifying intentions and goals.
You can choose whatever 5 categories you like, such as health, home, work, personal growth, family, finances, play, etc. Just keep it to 5. You can add more than one goal for each category, of course, but for now focus on only one main goal. Having fewer goals enables you to check in with them more frequently. When you have only a handful of specific objectives, you are able to productively identify steps that support them and get those tasks on your calendar.
For example one of my intentions is to hydrate better (70 oz. of water a day!), so I have a goal of drinking 16 ounces of lemon water first thing in the morning. This is something that I can track easily. I can also set my phone timer to remind me to drink during the day, and I can always carry water with me. But what I’m committing to is drinking the 16 ounces of water in the morning. That’s my focus; that’s enough. That will be what I show up for and what I remember to do.
Keep the list simple.
When each goal is simple and straightforward, and you are clear why it is important to you, it will be easier to follow through on actually doing it. Choosing your 5 goals will vary depending on where you are right now and what is relevant to you. But making progress across a wide spectrum of areas, like the 5 portals, in your life is important to keep some balance and harmony and ensure your energy is not being dominated by any one area.
For example, work can be one of those areas where we tend to put all our focus. If all or most of our goals are here, then we can start to sacrifice other important aspects of life. It’s not that we can’t do more than one thing, because we can and do all the time, but the pressure of having to do too many things creates stress and we do not need more stress!
Keep dreaming.
When we break up our big dreams into small doable tasks that fit easily into our day, over time these small achievements multiply exponentially and we reap magnificent rewards. When we have only a few main things to remember, we can more easily do them and then have time to dream some more.
So dream up a gorgeously healthy life while you’re at it!