2018 GOAL SETTING, Part 3: Choose a Word
Welcome to 2018 Goal Setting, Part 3! Oooooh, this is getting good! We have some fun things to do together today. Ready?
Prefer listening instead of reading? I recorded this post just for you!
As we talked about in Part 1, we’re doing this differently. We’re not choosing goals out of thin air, or because of comparison. We’re not doing fleeting resolutions or quick-fixes that don’t fix anything at all.
Right, friends?! I’m so glad you’re with me on this!
You see, what most of the world misses is that our goals are already there.
Deep below the surface, where the fiery good stuff lives.
It’s just a matter of peeling back the layers of fear and all the things to get to them.
We’re sifting through all the noise and distractions to uncover our cultivated goals.
I’m so excited for today!
If you are just joining us, you aren’t late to this party—there is nothing magical about January 1! Here is Part 1 and Part 2, for your reading (or listening!) pleasure.
STEP 7: What are you going to need to say YES to more often in order to cultivate what matters in 2018, and what are you saying NO to?
Saying no to one thing means you are saying yes to something better!
Write your list of what you are saying YES to in 2018 and what you are saying NO to. There are no wrong answers here, friends. My answers are pictured below, and my lists are a mix of big-picture things (saying no to “comparison”) and specific things (saying yes to “less of me on social media”). Post your lists here in the comments to inspire others, and keep yourself accountable!
These lists are so important! When we say yes and no, we are making decisions. You may find some of your 2018 goals coming to the surface in these lists! These lists serve to summarize where you are going and where you DON’T want to go.
STEP 8: Here’s where the magic starts to happen! Read over all you’ve written so far and circle, mark, or sticker things that stand out to you. Look for common threads or themes in what you’ve written. Add to what you’ve written, if needed. Get out a highlighter or a big bold pen and get messy here! Dig through what you’ve written so far, and notice the threads.
(Side note: lots of you have asked what pens and highlighters we love. I use these, these, and these. I also use our Goal Setting Stickerbook—my favorite!)
This step took me a good 25 minutes, FYI. I went back and read every word I wrote in my PowerSheets prep and highlighted, circled, and stickered things that stood out—things that really mattered to me and things that kept coming up.
The threads point to places that are craving cultivation—patches of your life that are waiting to be transformed.
The threads are little golden strings that tie your goals together.
The threads are your goals in the making.
Let’s do some treasure hunting and find them!
What themes are you seeing in what you’ve written so far? Maybe you’re looking at the threads and wondering if you’re missing something. Maybe the themes you are seeing don’t feel “groundbreaking.” If that’s you, I hope what I’m about to say sinks in deep: goals don’t have to be shiny and “big” to be powerful. What they need to be, though, is real. Connected to the big picture. Authentic to you and your unique path, right where you are.
Maybe you keep thinking that you want to get better at putting your laundry away.
Maybe you want to develop a habit of washing all the dishes before you go to bed.
Maybe you want to reply to your friends’ text messages each day instead of letting them pile up.
Or perhaps you want to get outside for fresh air and a quick walk with the dog twice a day.
Is reading more on your list of things you are saying yes to in 2018?
How about being present and turning the phone off at 9 pm?
These things are important—just as important as starting a new business or running a marathon. Why? Let’s look a level deeper and start to uncover some big picture cultivated goals that are right below the surface…
Little seeds grow into big blooms. Zinnias from the garden this year—my favorite!
Putting your laundry away and washing all the dishes before you go to bed may help you feel more prepared each day, ready to live out your purpose.
Replying to your friends’ text messages each day may help you to serve and love them well.
Getting outside for fresh air and a quick walk may help give you space and perspective to tackle challenges and make meaningful decisions.
Reading more may open your understanding of people’s stories, helping you to grow in compassion.
And being present and turning the phone off at 9 pm will most likely give you a greater connection with your loved ones and better sleep, which makes everything better!
Cultivated goals are about growing what you’ve been given well—what you already have.
Those themes that keep popping up? The things on your yes/no list that you can’t get out of your mind?
These little threads are illuminating your path forward. Notice them. Mark them. And take a shovel and dig into them.
This is cultivating.
Tilling your growing ground, digging in deep, and preparing for new growth.
STEP 9: Pick a word for 2018. When you look at all you’ve written so far, what word keeps popping up in your mind? What one word most resonates with you for the year ahead, pulling together all that you want to grow?
Here are some tips to help you uncover your word:
First, I like to make a list of a few possible words that resonate with me, even if I think they aren’t exactly right. My list for 2018 included:
Humility
Surrender
Gentleness
and a word I made up, Lightspace.
Then, get old school and get out the dictionary (well, Dictionary.com). Look at the definition of each word, it’s origin, and also look at synonyms and antonyms. I love using BlueLetterBible.org to look up the Greek, Hebrew, and related verses, too. You may be amazed at what you discover!
And a note of freedom here: think about this as a word for the season ahead, not for all of time. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and you have permission to change your mind later on! Rather than thinking of the whole year, I find so much freedom thinking of just the season ahead.
Repeat after me: it doesn’t have to be perfect. DONE is better than perfect!
Once you have your word, you are welcome to share it here in the comments. Give a virtual high five to those who might have the same word as you—we are bound to have some shared words!
Feel free to use this graphic above to share your word—you never know how you might encourage others!
Now, do something with your word. Write your 2018 word in prominent places in your life. On days you feel overwhelmed or need some direction, your word will help remind you of where you are going. This will help keep you from getting distracted and off track. Put your word on a Post-It in your car. Put it on a note literally inside of your fridge (I have a Post-It in my fridge!). Make it your computer desktop. Write it anywhere and everywhere to remind yourself of where you are going!
My word for 2017 was LIGHT. I didn’t expect this to be my word when I started my PowerSheets, but that’s the beauty of the process. As I uncovered more and more of what mattered (and what didn’t) with every page, the word light kept popping up. Light is what makes things grow well, illuminates the darkness, and leads us on the pathway home. I love this word, and there are so many beautiful scriptures about God’s light.
My 2018 word is the word that I made up!
