Imagine driving to a destination you've never been before. You heard it was a cool place and decided to get there. For this adventure, you have a final address that became your focus as you cruise down the highway.
That's the image picture for how to take full advantage of next year, which is weeks away. Great leaders look ahead and design the future. Figure out where you want to be on December 31st in advance.
Well intentioned mentors have encouraged me to create new year's resolutions on or around January 1st. Then, I am to methodically plot the different ways to achieve them over the 12 month period. I've done over 20 years of new year's resolutions. My track record of completing my annual lists is 60-75% success rate, at best. If I were honest, the average is around 40-50%. The detractors were decisions and unexpected priorities during the year that didn't match the original goals. This completion rate deflated my confidence over and over.
A few years back, I asked myself if there was a better way.
Creating My Yearly Theme
Yes, there is a different approach. I invented a method that produces a sense of life fulfillment and is far more encompassing than a to-do list.
It's called my yearly theme. My past themes have been "warrior princess", "fruitful" and "cheerfully expectant", and "delightful inheritance."
Going back to the analogy of the road trip, my yearly theme is the final destination on December 31st. That's the address on the mobile GPS in the car.
Starting October the year prior, I spend quiet times meditating, journaling, and probing deep into my innermost thoughts. I seek out inspiration and wise counsel. I look for the God-breathed whispers. This process is iterative because the words and feelings intertwine and morph into different shapes. Eventually certain patterns emerge.
I closely ponder different aspects of my life. What matters the most for self-care? How do I enrich my well being? Where am I at with my faith? What can I do better in my marriage? Which relationships do I nurture? What professional growth do I reach for? What business goals are priority? In what ways do I get to contribute to my family, community, and society? Where can I serve? What change is upon me? What inspires me to greater heights?
Usually, by early December, I have a good idea of next year's theme. The final word or phrase is personal. It's meaning is genuine, unique, and relevant only to me. The theme honors where I am at and came together as my primary intention for an aspirational new year.
Making Quarterly Adjustments
My yearly theme is the overarching direction for the next 12 months. It is a guide for making choices. It informs the plans that get formulated. It gives the boundary markers for what's in scope versus out of scope. It justifies the leadership qualities that I live out. It inspires me to stay steady and strong when difficulties arise. My theme offers hope.
The other equally important component is to construct 3-month goals on or before January 1st, April 1st, July 1st, and October 1st. I generate 4 or more quarterly goals that are S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound). I cover major areas of my life where I want to grow and change.
Reach out to me if you'd like to get a copy of my S.M.A.R.T. goal setting template.
Staying Accountable
The key to living out my yearly theme is being held accountable. I ask my husband and close friends to check in with me regularly with how I'm progressing with my S.M.A.R.T. goals. I intentionally include weekly action steps to make progress. I write down lessons learned and other insights to be able to immediately adapt my attitude, mindset, and work.
When I reach 100% on a goal, I take time to celebrate, cheer, and enjoy a reward. I purposefully bask in the glow of achievement so that I create an emotionally charged memory of what it's like to succeed. I also remember to be grateful for what has transpired.
Reaching the Destination
With a yearly theme, my life is not on cruise control. Instead, I have both hands firmly on the steering wheel alert at what I see ahead. I have good visual and sensory awareness of what is happening at all times. I find that this approach is rewarding because I can look back at the last 365 days and notice the milestone markers of the recent adventure I was on.
I have already begun my reflection and meditation for the upcoming new year. The whisper I've gotten so far is to "heal and restore." I have a few more weeks to play with other ideas. I am super excited in the discovery of what it will be.
Contact me for support and coaching with your yearly theme.
