One word
One phrase
One list
Over the years I have tried many different ways to organize a new year. It started in college when I made a small list of items I wanted to purchase. I kept it in my desk and looked at it every time I picked up my paycheck from my part-time job. (Yes, I really did actually have to drive my paycheck to the bank and deposit it.) I had little extra money once the rent was paid. The list helped me stay focused when I was tempted by the then new Dominos Pizza delivery. Say what?! Hot, fresh pizza delivered? Later, I spent a few years and extensive time setting detailed goals in all areas of life from physical, to mental, spiritual, financial and relationships. During those sessions, plans were made for 1, 5, and 10 years down the road. The list of goals produced was pages long.
It sounds good to make big plans and put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. It can be fun to dream of what your future can hold. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming because it requires change and personal growth, lots of it. For many years I simply wrote 3 to 5 goals on a recipe card, encouraged by my father-in-law. That’s a whole other post on how supported and encouraged we were as a family to move forward by an awesome man. My annual focus was better with a smaller list. I didn’t transfer quite so many incompletes as in years past.
Then I heard a new idea. Or maybe it wasn’t new; just new to me. A supervisor encouraged our department to choose one word to reflect the bigger picture change, goal or vision for a new year. That sounded good. I choose a word and while it did focus my attitude and actions on several occasions, I still had a running list of ‘to-do’s I worked on.
Last year I heard the idea of choosing a phrase to provide clarity. That sounded good, too. Only it never became clear what I should choose for my 3 or 4 word mantra. My 12-month list with 4-5 items was, for me, easier to quickly jot down.
Looking back now, I realize that time spent deep diving into all areas of my life set me on a path toward being a happier person. Thinking about where I wanted to be in 10 and even 20 years helped me stay on a general path even though some years I felt discouraged and did not update or write any new goals. Some years I spent so much time focusing on one area, other areas became neglected. Some years one word would have been better for me than a long list I knew I should, but would not complete.
All of this added value to my life. So I encourage you to get out a piece of paper and write down a few things you would like to see happen in 2016. Just start. Move forward. Maybe a word or a phrase is enough. Maybe a list of 5 things is enough. Maybe this is the year you deep dive into planning your life, really exploring where you want to be in 5, 10 and 20 years from now and what you have to do to get there.
You are worth the effort.
