An Easy Way to Stay Focused On Your Goals EVERY DAY
Hey hey, you gorgeous goal setter!
I hope you're finally winding down from the craziness of the holidays. Maybe you've been rushing around during your first week back at work and you haven't even had a second to think about your goals for 2018 yet.
If you feel behind on goal-setting and planning for 2018, I get it...
Writing down a list of all your goals and resolutions can feel overwhelming.
That's why I'm a huge fan of setting a THEME for the year.
What do I mean by a 'THEME'?
In my world, it's a one-word reminder, intention, mantra (or all of the above) that encompasses all of your goals into one phrase.
Setting intentions, words and mantras can be a quick, simple way to remind yourself of how you want to feel in 2018 -- without having to pull out your list of goals and resolutions.
In this post, I'm going to share my intention, mantra & one word for 2018 with you. Hopefully it will inspire you to create your OWN magic this year, and show you how these themes can be a positive reminder of even your largest goals on a daily basis.
Although I'm sharing my own intention, mantra & word for 2018 to give you some real-life examples of how I embody these things in my everyday life,
I genuinely want this exercise to be about YOU and making your life 10000x more productive, happy and fulfilled in 2018.
So, after you read this article, grab some coffee, take out a journal and a pen, put on the DEEP FOCUS playlist on Spotify -- my fave for GSD (gettin shiz done, if you're new around here).
Give yourself some space to create some magic: I want you to create a mantra/word/intention that's meaningful to you so your 2018 rocks your freakin' socks off. (Do people still say that? I'm stuck in 2011).
Photo by my favorite Orlando photographer and bff, Katelynn Carlson!
My Intention, Mantra & ONE WORD for 2018
My main intention for 2018 is to CREATE MORE and CONSUME LESS.
This means spend less time consuming other people's blogs, podcasts, videos, etc., and instead, use that time to create my own.
My one word for 2018 is INTENTION. That means everything I choose to do needs to be intentional.
There are so many times in the past when I've tried to set resolutions or goals, go on a diet, create something for my business, all with the wrong intentions.
And when you go into something with the wrong intentions (because someone else wants you to do it, because it looks cool to other people, because you're trying to please someone else), you're never going to stick with it.
Whatever you decide to do this year, be sure you're doing it with the right intentions and because YOU actually want to make that change in your life.
My main mantra for 2018: it's either a HELL YES or a NO.
Whenever I'm making a decision to do something in 2018 - whether that's create something in my business, start a new workout program, even buying a new outfit - it's either a HELL YES or it's a no for me.
If you have to think about the decision and are wavering in any way, it's probs a no.
Again, these intentions/mantras don't have to be yours, but I figured I'd share them to give you some inspiration to create your own!
It's great to dream up some fluffy quotes and saying and mantras and intentions, but like I say all the time:
Intention without action is meaningless.
So, how can you create these phrases while you're super inspired in January, but also USE them to make decisions well into 2018?
For starters, you can use your phrases/mantras to ask yourself a question every time you're about to make a decision. Here's how!
how i use intentions, words, & mantras in my everyday life to stay in alignment with my goals
You're probably thinking, "OK Julie, setting a 'theme' with all these words is cool and all, but how do I actually use and apply them in my life?"
Glad you asked, love!
Using my intentions, one word & mantra, here are some examples of questions I'll ask myself when I'm deciding to work with a client, start a new project, go out for drinks, and anything else that comes up.
Scenario: An idea pops into my head about starting a new project (i.e. write a book, create a course, create a challenge)
Question: What is my intention behind this? Am I doing this for the right reasons (because I genuinely want to and I know it will help people), or am I doing this to appear credible, busy, or anything ego-based? Will I actually enjoy doing this?
Then, the answer appears when I dig deep to know my true intention.
Scenario: A client applies for coaching with me, but it doesn't seem like a great fit for whatever reason.
Reminder: if it's not a HELL YES, it's a NO.
Because I know from past experience when I take on someone who I know wouldn't be a good fit (because they're not ready to change, doing it for the wrong reasons, wouldn't be fun to work with) based on a scarcity mindset (i.e. I need to take on anyone who comes to me so I can pay the bills) - I never feel good about the relationship, which is not fair to me OR the client.
So now, if it's not a HELL YES, I refer the person to someone else who can help them - which makes it even better because if I do decide we're a good fit, you can trust that I am 100% HELL YES over-the-moon excited to work with you & confident I can help you!
Side note about this: if you're in a service-based business, especially when you're first starting out, it can be scary to turn people away. Your fear-based brain will say, "How could you turn someone away? You need to pay bills! You should want to help everyone!" But I now know from experience that the more I adopt an abundance mindset (telling myself 'there's more where that came from') and referring those who aren't my ideal client to others who are more suitable for their needs, the more I CAN help the people I'm currently working with -- and, even crazier, the more those ideal clients show up in my life! I could write about this all day, so if you want me to write a blog about it, holla at me!
Scenario: A friend wants me to go out for drinks, yet I've already had dinner out 3 times that week, I'm trying to save money, and I'm just overall blah about it.
Reminder: If it's not a HELL YES, it's a no.
If she's a true friend, she'll get that we can meet up later this week when I have less going on - and since one of my goals is to save money right now (and I want to stay in alignment with my goals), maybe we can meet for coffee or go to a gym class together instead of going out for drinks.
Scenario: I wake up and I'm tempted to scroll on my phone, check email, go through my social feed. OR it's the middle of the day and I am feeling lazy/procrastinating, so my first inclination is to head to YouTube and watch videos.
Reminder: CONSUME LESS, CREATE MORE.
By this simple reminder, I'll turn my phone on airplane mode, put it down, and start doing something creative that will actually fulfill me: writing, walking, creating a program, working on a client plan.
Bonus: all of these things actually make me happier, more creative and more productive, instead of keeping-up-with-the-Jonses and replicate what everyone else is doing (and/or having FOMO when I see people out there havin' a blast in their social media *highlight reels*)
So, there ya have it folks!
Grab your journal and a hot cup of joe, snuggle up, and take some time to write down your OWN themes for 2018.
I hope by setting a theme (words, intentions and/or mantras) for the year, you're able to quickly remember all your most important goals at the drop of a hat, in a sticky situation, or when you're tempted to be lazy & watch Netflix instead of pursuing your biggest goals and dreams (which is when we need to remember the most!)
Stay tuned for the rest of the blogs in the Set Goals with Soul series! And if you never want to miss a post, join my email list.
PSSSST! Want more? Watch my LIVE Coffee Chat all about Setting Goals with Soul!
Join our Strong & Sexy Living Facebook Group where I teach you 3 unconventional ways to set Goals with Soul (and do Live coffee chats like this every week!) Hint: you're 10x more likely to achieve even your BIGGEST goals if you follow these steps!
- Set Goals with Soul - Part 0.5: 3 Simple Steps to Transformation (THE TRUTH)
- Set Goals with Soul - Part 1: 7 Questions to Reflect on in 2017 to Create MAGIC in 2018