I hope this post finds you easing into the New Year and enjoying every moment of it. We’re now full swing, and it’s this time of year we’re either questioning our decisions, forgetting our direction altogether, or making real progress toward important change. Sadly, it’s rarely the latter.
Today I decided to share the real reason I take my annual planning so very seriously.
My “New Year for a New You” annual reflections were responsible for a life-changing wake-up call. Most people don’t keep track of their prior goals and setbacks, but when I learned this lesson, I had a five-year public record of mine. As I reviewed my past blog series to copy questions (Where is time being wasted? What are your biggest challenges? What were your worst setbacks?), I realized I might as well be copying all the answers, too!
Looking back year after year, I found the same challenges, setbacks, and bad habits repeated! I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was unknowingly keeping my problems.
As I read back over years’ worth of the same relationship problems, financial setbacks, weight issues, and bad habits, I got emotional. That moment still makes me tear up today. It broke my heart that I wasn’t making positive changes for myself, that I was unconsciously so reluctant to make choices and take actions that would create a better life.
With that, I finally had the motivation I needed to change things once and for all. And, I tell that story to save you from the same hardship. If you’ve come across the same pattern in your own process, let me be crystal clear that this is not a situation for admonishment. Quite the opposite. It’s a celebration of our humanness.
It’s this time of year that I like to remind you that I offer a super affordable program, The Fast Track Toolkit to help you get back on top of an overwhelming schedule and task list—and keep yourself there.
It’s exactly how I’ve gotten over the onslaught of overwhelm I experience throughout the seasons. The Fast Track Toolkit (and more specifically the highly acclaimed OCN method contained within) helps you to not only identify your critical goals and projects, but more importantly audit and prioritize the mountain of energy-draining, non-essential busywork most of us try to tackle at any given time. With this kit in hand, your to-do list becomes more about finishing and completing than unconscious doing. An important distinction for sure!
A Routine Reset
After all the frenetic and supercharged energy of January, February invites a beautiful opportunity to revaluate your routine.
- Are you still excited about the goals you set out to accomplish?
- Does your daily routine feel good to you right now?
- Are you doing the things that are most important to you first each day?
I want you to pay attention to that bolded question above. I didn’t ask you: “Are you doing important things each day?” There’s no definition to that. That could be ANYBODY‘s most important things. That could be anyone’s hair-on-fire urgencies or the many things someone needs your help with. I’m specifically defining the activities that are most important to you, and I’m specifically asking you if they are coming first on your schedule. Are you taking a moment each day, before all the screens come on and all the people wake up, to ask …
What’s important to me today? What am I doing differently to create the change or improvements I want to see come to fruition this year?
I hope it’s been successful so far. Click here to learn more about The Fast Track Toolkit. Here’s to Your Best Year yet!