Vision and Goal Nuggets

Vision and Goal Nuggets

It’s January and everyone has goal fever. We look for a vision. We chase after goal nuggets, trying to find the secret to success for the next year and trying to stuff a year into the first week of January.

Why January is nominated as goal-setting time? Goals can happen anytime.

Maybe it’s because it’s the start of the calendar year and that new planner looks desperately empty … though I view the start of the school year in a similar light and almost more of a start than January (I guess I need a different planner for that kind of year).

Maybe it’s because the huge holiday season has come to an abrupt end. We spent a month and a half consumed with plans for Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year celebrations, and now that it’s over, we have no idea what we want to do next. That makes excellent planning time.

Whatever the reason, I’m thinking through the next year in order to be better prepared for it. When I have a flexible plan in mind, I find more moments to claim peace and rest among the busyness. When I don’t think ahead, I scramble from one chaotic moment to another feeling disheveled and unfocused.

Last year, my word for the year was invest, as in put time into important things. And I did. I didn’t reach all of my goals, but I did realize that many of my goals were unattainable in the time that I had. So, I became aware of my need to adjust. I tend to over schedule which makes me always feel behind. Have you ever tried to be creative when you feel behind on your list of must-dos?

This year, I want to claim more time doing one thing at a time instead of trying to do and learn too many things all at once. They all still need done and learned, but maybe … maybe if I focus on one at a time, I’ll actually learn and do them better. That’s the theory anyway.

I want to use my new word as a vision and guide for content here, assuming I don’t over commit again.

So, what is a vision? This gets tricky. Vision and goals are often confused.

When I think about a vision, I see it as an abstract thing. It’s what I want to happen for a given time in a given area (in me as an individual, in my family, or in my business).

Goals are more concrete. They are the wheels of the vision. They make it happen. And they are valuable for staying on task.

On the blog this year, I want to talk about giving ourselves permission. So many things don’t happen in my life because, for one reason or another, I have decided I’m not allowed. I’d like to dispel these myths. When I give myself permission to create (without guilt), I happen upon oasis moments.

And since I’m all about finding those oasis moments, it seems fitting that the word for this year is PERMISSION.

First, I have permission to do one thing at a time. I am allowed to focus on one … without guilt, without distraction. The other things can wait for a moment or two.

What do you need to start the year giving yourself permission to do guilt-free?

Maybe you can make it part of your vision.

Share your thoughts in the comments below. I’d love to hear about your vision and the areas where you need to give yourself permission. Others may need permission in that area too.

Until next time …

Happy creating!