How was your 2023? Did it match up to the expectations you had as you closed the door on 2022?
If you’re like most of us, you went into 2023 with resolutions, goals, plans, and great expectations of how the year would unfold.
And then life happened.
And you suddenly remembered you are a human being in a human body living a human life that is unpredictable, inconvenient and oftentimes downright tragic.
At some point, 2023 got away from you taking with it many of those resolutions, goals, plans and expectations.
Expectations vs. Reality
Now, let’s not get all extreme here. There are likely some goals you DID hit, and it’s good to think of those with gratitude. But it’s easy to think positive, glowing thoughts about the things that went according to plan, the things that worked out, the things that went right…right?
But do you know what the secret to a really great year is?
How you think about the things that DIDN’T go right.
The things that didn’t go quite according to plan.
The things you quit or the things that were moved outside of your control.
The obstacles, the roadblocks, the detours, the unexpected arrivals and departures.
How did you handle those? How are you thinking about those now?
Baby Steps
Are you letting failure define your year? Are you feeling hesitant or fearful of setting new goals for 2024 to avoid the disappointment you’re still feeling from 2023?
Pause. Take a breath. Set all that aside for the moment.
Maybe setting a whole year’s worth of goals feels overwhelming to you right now. Maybe even setting monthly or weekly goals feels out of reach to you right now.
Can you set one small goal for today and focus on that?
Forget about all the goals you’ve set and missed in the past. Don’t get sucked into the lie that you have to set big goals to make worthwhile progress.
One small goal. Just for today.
When you hit it (and of course you will if it’s small enough), notice the sense of satisfaction you feel. You can feel like this each and every day if you choose.
Rinse and repeat tomorrow. One small goal. Just for today.
365 small goals from now you will look back and realize those goals weren’t small at all. They each represent one step of a huge leap into a future and a version of you that you truly love.
Betsy is a certified life coach, running coach and blogger who helps midlife women find satisfaction where they are now and inspiration to go after their big goals.
To learn more about working with Betsy, click here.