Out with the old, in with the new. A new year means a fresh start! At the beginning of a new year, I like to plan out my next year. I don’t mean setting a series of goals.
I believe those only set you up for failure if you fail. Instead, I set up intentions, and I begin with an overarching theme that is tied to most if not all of my intentions.
The best piece of advice I can give you when making a plan to achieve your intentions is to keep it realistic. Don’t make plans that you know you can’t keep. You will only feel worse when you do not meet your expectations.
For instance, my theme for 2022 is “relentless human.” I’m ready to step it up and really take my business to the next level especially after last year being one of our best years yet. I have also learned that life can throw curveballs and humans are imperfect. Hence the relentless plus the human as a combination for my year.
Feel free to use mine if it strikes a chord with you or comes up with your own. Now that you have your theme, you can plan the key elements so that 2022 is your best year yet.
Ok, ready? The following is a process you can use to plan your best year yet. It’s what I use to plan mine each and every year.
I use the 5 areas to plan (edit to what works for you): Professional, Health, Family, Friends, Spiritual, and Charity.
Then take each “intention” and create the impact, actions, and habits you will require.
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- Desired impact
- Actions or steps toward the intention
- Habits that need to be acquired
I try to keep each section simple, doable, and scheduled (by when).
I took this in Santa Cruz Beach Wharf, Boardwalk- Nikon, 2017 – I love the light in this photo.
1. Professional
What did you like about your professional life in 2021, and what would you like to see change? Do you feel overworked and want to lighten your load? Studies find that working long hours leads to fatigue, which negatively affects mental, emotional, and physical health. Or maybe you want to expand your business and experience growth. Perhaps you are ready for a total career change or a new direction.
Make a list of changes you want to make and how you plan to make them. For example, if one of your intentions is to “work fewer hours,” then your plan of attack may include delegating certain tasks to lighten your load.
If you are looking to plan out your year and grow yourself and your business, you may like our 3-day experience.
2. Health
Finding the healthiest version of yourself will positively impact every aspect of your life. Whether you want to adopt better eating habits or incorporate a fitness routine, make intentions that you can realistically meet. Let’s say you want to eat healthier. What are realistic standards for you? Maybe you do not have time to cook every night, but you can meal prep once a week. Write down how you wish to eat moving forward and the steps you will take to achieve your intentions.
3. Family Life
For many, finding a work-life balance is a huge struggle. You have been pulled in two different directions: providing for your family and spending as much time with them as possible. As with every other intention, I revisit my overall theme to tie into as well as my other intentions to see how they may be able to work together. For example, lightening the load in my professional life will leave me more time to spend with my family.
You may also consider working from home more to cut down on the commute or look into a flex schedule if your employer offers these options. Whatever your family life intentions are for the new year, plan to take action by looking at other areas of your life as well. Maybe cut down on television time or plan your workouts for when the kids are asleep. The options are limitless.
4. Friends
Do you feel as if you are spending too much time with friends or not enough? It can be hard to strike the right balance. If you feel like you are spending too much time hanging out and not enough time prioritizing other areas of your life.
Make a plan of how you will take a step back. For example, if you have a girls’ night or a guys’ night every Saturday night, you could cut down to every other week or even once a month, depending on how much time you are trying to find.
On the other hand, if you can’t seem to find the time to hang out with long-lost friends, reworking your day and cutting back on other areas such as work can help you find the time. Many studies show that socialization is important to emotional, mental, and physical health.
You can even combine areas of your life. For instance, if you have a friend or group of friends who like to exercise, you can all exercise as a group. You’re killing two birds with one stone and increasing your time efficiency.
5. Spiritual
Are you interested in making more time for spiritual practices or exploring a new option? Making time to stay in touch with your spiritual side (if you wish) can help you feel more peaceful and put together throughout the day.
In 2022, you might plan to set aside x number of minutes one or more times a day or week specifically for spiritual practices. Everyone is different, and you have to do what works for you.
Charity
I, like most people, feel strongly about charity and have unique connections with certain ones. I think it is safe to say that we all wish we could give more or show more support. Your intention for 2022 may be to become more involved in charities or to reign it back in if it is consuming too much time that needs to be placed on family, health, etc.
Make a note of the expendable time and resources you have to give to charity and make notes of how you can make the most efficient use of this time and resources. It will help you feel like this aspect of your life is under control.
Plan for intention and make 2022 a great year!
With that being said, your plans can always be part of a larger intention that you plan to meet in x number of years. Secondly, explore how different sections of your life can work together and help each other out. For example, if you want more family time and also wish to cut back at work, each section can help the other.
Follow these key elements to avoid Burnout in 2022 and make it your best year yet! I invite you to listen to my Humanly Possible podcast for inspiration from entrepreneurs and business people, and women just like yourselves. When you get ready, let’s chat about how you can make small shifts that result in epic differences in your business!
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