Coming from a personal and professional life coach, this may sound weird. But I want you to forget about goals. Instead, I want you to reframe the traditional goal setting approach into one of inspired actions.
What is inspired action? Doing something because you have a deep sense of purpose, passion and inspiration to do it. Those intrinsic longings within you to experience something. The action is not motivated by any external forces, but coming 100% from inside you. It is something you feel in your core, that you truly want to accomplish, experience, create, do. It is what your soul is saying when you get quiet enough to listen. Sometimes what the soul says may surprise you, and sometimes it is something you’ve known since you were a child.
Why is this important? Because until you really care about the things you are doing that require work, motivation, courage and to get out of your comfort zone - you won’t be truly successful. You may complete them, however there will be resistance and won’t be fulfillment and contentment. I don’t know about you, but with our finite time on earth I’d rather focus my own energy on actions that do inspire me and light me up versus goals that don’t.
This takes some time and thoughtfulness. However what you start to develop can be really profound. A few ways to dive in:
Get quiet. Anywhere from sitting for a full meditation to removing yourself from all the distractions and outside factors that affect what we think. Maybe meditation works, maybe a walk, maybe journaling, maybe something else. A time for you to be alone with your thoughts.
Physically open the front of your body. Movements like rolling the shoulders down the back, broadening the collar bone, lifting the heart. Feel your torso expand and your head slightly lift to the sky. Create openness in the physical body here.
Let yourself daydream, envision. What do you want to create in your life? Remove any reasons why something is a bad idea (those usually come from the outside or our past) and imagine all the possibilities. As thoughts pop into your head, follow them. Where do they lead?
If you feel completely stuck try asking yourself these questions: What is important to me? What injustices do I see that make me want to help? When my life ends, what memories do I want and what regrets don’t I want? How do I want to be remembered when my physical form is no longer here? Think core values, core beliefs, your highest and truest self.
Begin to notice any patterns or trains of thought that are connected. Record them in your journal or a voice memo. Ask yourself why are they important to you. Capture all the ideas, even ones that seem outlandish. There is a reason they are coming to you.
Draft what these inspired actions are - what you want to accomplish. Create “I” statements around them that are present tense and progress focused. For instance, "I want to learn a new language to be able to communicate with my in-laws" or "I want to volunteer at an animal shelter because all cats and dogs deserve love." or "I want to sky dive to get over my fear of not taking chances." Say them out loud. Do they feel good in your mind and body? Do they resonate with you?
We are starting to get to what is important for you here. Your why. This is just the first of additional steps in creating a plan towards accomplishments and change. However, I think it is often an overlooked exercise when we hit a new calendar year, a new birth year, a new job, etc. We run on autopilot in life, habitual actions take over, social pressures coming into play. This is how a lot of us make goals. Sometimes we kick ass and finish them, sometimes we quit after 2 days. However until we feel these goals/inspired actions/milestones/steps to change deep inside of us, the results will never feel or be as good as they could be. We may feel a little empty afterward, a little disappointed in ourself or a little less aligned. Yet there is a better way through taking the time to get in touch with ourself and redefine what we truly want.
Next up? Ways to build confidence to take these inspired actions into the world. Coming soon...