Setting and following through on goals is challenging in a regular year. 2020 was a year full of surprises and life-altering events.
2021 has already had some bumps along the way, and it can be tempting to throw our goals aside because the first few months haven’t been as perfect as you’d like. Here are some ways to navigate goals with the time you have left.
What was your word for the year?
Does it still resonate with you? If so, fantastic, keep it, and put it somewhere you can remember. A word of the year can be a guiding principle like “Steady,” “Rest,” or even “Play.” If the word you chose doesn’t quite fit right, you can have a word for each quarter or the second half of the year!
What was your goal list?
Perhaps you had a S.M.A.R.T. list of 20 ideas, or maybe you rolled into 2021 just grateful to be alive and didn’t set any goals but “survive.” If you have a list, look through it to see which ones you would like to concentrate on for the rest of this year. Giving yourself the grace to do two instead of ten might save you the reflective panic in December when you try to remember what you accomplished this year.
Set goals by looking back
Set aside 5 minutes to journal and write as if you are in December of 2021 looking back on this year. You can use these prompts:
- What were your favorite moments of the year?
- What did you love doing, trying, or seeing?
- How did you grow?
- What did you learn or explore?
Use your journal entry to find ideas to weave into your year.
Think about this summer as a fresh start.
What would feel nurturing? If you feel like you dropped the ball in 2020, what is one thing you would like to reintegrate? Maybe it’s evening walks, once-a-week phone call with family, or a new healthy habit like meatless Mondays.
Although some of the stress and worry of 2020 has followed us into 2021, it doesn’t mean the whole year is a wash. It’s not too late to pause and ask yourself, “What do I need here? How do I want to show up in this season?” Let’s take the go-go-go out of goals and craft intentions that support the life we want to live and the kind of people we want to be.