How to REALLY Reach Your Goals in the New Year

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After the craziness of the holidays, we went to the coast to unwind and relax a bit. I love to walk in the morning, so I got up before the sun, put on my tennis shoes, and headed out to the beach. Feeling focused and proud, I walked south as I contemplated the coming year.

I have goals, lots of them, for this year. 

I want to eat healthier, gain more energy by exercising more, stress less, pay attention to my husband, spend more time with my  ‘almost a senior in high school’ daughter, reduce credit card debt, and a million others.

You can tell I spend a lot of time thinking about the future … what I will do, what I want to do, and so on. These types of goals and resolutions take time and planning. Remember “If we fail to plan, we plan to fail.” I really hate this concept so I plan, plan, and plan some more. How will I reach my goals? What tools do I need? What might be the pitfalls? What do I need from my significant other as support? Who can I count on as a cheerleader?

All of this thinking went on as I strolled down the beach. I turned around in the soft twilight, almost sunrise of the morning and walked back in the direction of the hotel.

After a few more minutes of ruminations and wonderings, I realized I did not know which hotel was mine.

All the hotels look the same on the ocean side and none of them have names showing. I had not stopped to look around me when I started my walk. I just tore off in the direction I wanted to go never noticing where I began. I started to think about what I knew about the backside of the hotel. I could not remember the color, but I did remember that the pool was to the left and a tiki hut was on that side, too.

Eventually I made it back, no worries, but it got me thinking … maybe I had stumbled on one of the greatest obstacles to achieving my goals. If I do not think about where I am now, how will I recognize progress?

So, instead of jumping right into a million goals for the coming year, I will spend some time reflecting on where I am and counting the many blessing I already enjoy. It also means prioritizing all the goals I made for myself, which help me stress less and pay attention to what is happening right now.

I admit I always found the concept of “being present” as kind of hokey, but maybe that is precisely what needs to happen. I need to pay attention to where I am, notice the landmarks (i.e. the milestones), appreciate the beauty and just keep moving toward a better me, one that is not feeling lost in the vast expanse of a seemingly unrecognizable landscape created by others.

Happy New Year and best of luck reaching your goals!

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