Here's How You Can Kick the Pants Off Of 2017

Setting goals at the beginning of each new year is as trick-or-treating is to Halloween or as caroling is to Christmas. Goal setting just seems like the “right” thing to do. After all, there is something about a fresh calendar (or planner for you Erin Condran fans out there) that is so inspiring…the pages and dates are blank slates of possibility just waiting for us to fill them up with future rendezvous, adventures, and plans. But as I sat down to set my goals for 2017, the process lacked the luster it had in previous years. Something felt flat or stale about the process. Instead of pushing these feelings aside and trudging on like I normally do, I decided (with the help of a mentor) to spend more time getting curious about why I wasn’t feeling my usual zest for setting goals. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE goals. After all, they are what helped me complete an Ironman, run 100 miles, and form my own business. They also help us Military Spouses survive tough times, like deployments. Upon further exploration I realized that I wasn’t excited about setting goals because they weren’t worthwhile or useful, it was because without a greater purpose, goals seemed so overrated or meaningless. I realized that until I set my overall intentions for the coming year, my goals wouldn’t hold the value I desired . First, let’s get clear on what goals and intentions are. Goals are desired outcomes and are often times essential for completing tasks; they are the track that guides us to our destination. Intentions, on the other hand, are overarching values and crystallizations of what you value most. Said another way, intentions are authentic vows or pure expressions that come from the core of your being. Goals focus on reaching a pre-determined finish line whereas intentions focus on why you are running the race how you are feeling during each step. Now that we understand the differences, let’s explore the benefits of focusing first on setting intentions powered by goals rather than goals powered by intentions. 1. Intentions release you from desiring a specific outcome. Living an intention-based day instead of goal-reaching day allows you to be fully present in the moment. Upon examination, I realized that focusing on reaching specific goals meant that I had to rely largely on factors completely beyond my control. I was allowing external elements (mainly other people’s actions and reactions) to define my success and provide internal satisfaction. In other words, I was giving control of my daily journey/experience to people who, for the most part, had no clue or vested interest in my success or failure! Once I removed my goal-based mindset and shifted my focus to living an intention-based life, I regained control of my internal emotions and the ability to define success. For example, although I can’t control the speed at which my five-year olds put on his shoes (trust me I TRIED), I can control my reaction and response to the morning routine. And I have to say, it feels so much better to live in the intention of experiencing zest in everyday moments (including taking time to go on a treasure hunt for the lost shoe instead of yelling about the time we are wasting) rather than achieve a goal of on-time arrival to school every single day. 2. Intentions allow you to refine your natural talents and strengths. As someone who has a very strong Futuristic bent, I am often times guilty in spending an inordinate amount of time envisioning, day-dreaming or brainstorming around future events. Although this is helpful when preparing for an upcoming move or beginning a new business venture, if I let it run wild it can cause me to miss the joy in everyday life because I am too busy thinking about the joy I will (or hope to) experience in the future. Instead of constantly focusing on achieving arbitrary goals, we should be setting overall intentions that align, and refine, our areas of natural talent . For example, last year I set a goal of rowing 1,000,000 meters in 2016. I started the year of full of fire and ready to tackle the world. I enjoyed the consistency of the training program I put together to help me reach this seemingly impossible distance. As with most things in my life, I just couldn’t wait to reach the “finish line” I set for myself. I began upping my distances and rowing days so I could reach my goal sooner and sooner. Before I knew it, I found myself reaching the finish line on June 20, 2016- a full 194 days early! One may think I felt immense joy and satisfaction by not only finishing my goal, but accomplishing it so quickly. But the truth was I felt empty and even a bit lost. What was I going to do to maintain my fitness for the remainder of the year now that my big, hairy audacious goal was a thing of the past? Lacking the time and creativity to come up with another fitness goal, I simply hopped back on the rower the next day and set out to row another 1,000,000 before the end of the year. My goal had been reached but the achievement felt hollow because there was no greater intention behind it. I am not at all intending that you give up goal setting in 2017 altogether, but what I am asking you to do is to take a step back and first understand your core values . After you have an understanding of what your overall intentions are for the year, then (and only then) is it time to begin putting the magic of goal setting into action. Let’s use my earlier example of the 1,000,000m turned 2,000,000m rowing challenge to demonstrate how you can utilize this in the coming year. First I need to understand what my overall intention is. What is it that I can resonate with on a daily basis and will fuel my fire? For me, it is to operate in a state of wellness. With that intention as my foundation for the year, I can then set smaller goals that align with this overall vision. I can still have the goal of rowing 1,000,000 meters in a year, but the achievement of rowing 1,000,000 meters cannot overshadow the intention of maintaining my wellness. If I only row 500,000 due to a crazy travel schedule but am in a state of wellness then there is no failure- only success as I’ve lived true to my intention. By partnering goals with intentions, you will have a killer combo that will allow you to achieve your wildest dreams…and more importantly enjoy the journey along the way! Connect with us on Facebook!

Here’s How You Can Kick the Pants Off Of 2017

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