At this time of the year it is common for thought leaders, in various areas of expertise, to share their wisdom on how to make this next year a successful one! They may discuss and define how to eat based upon a specific diet or how to exercise using a specific training program. And because it's New Year's Resolution time, they may share how you can adopt healthier habits using their specific program for success!
My advice, be the thought leader of your own life! Start by pondering what your intentions are and why they are important to you, How do you want this next year to look and feel? Your relationships, your health, work, personal growth, are all areas to evaluate. By starting with intentions, you are establishing a framework upon which to build your goals. Once you determine goals that will allow you to achieve your intentions, you can then develop plans that are in line with who you are and not who someone else thinks you should be.
To give you an example how to set your intentions, and from there establish goals and ultimately plans, I will share with you some of my thoughts for 2022.
My Intention for Relationships:
I will take time to nurture and develop healthy loving relationships.
Why it matters to me: My mother, Mary Ellen, passed on Monday morning after Thanksgiving of this past year. She worked with me in my office for over 30 years and I had a blessed loving relationship with her! God called her home after 91 years of an amazing life! She died peacefully. Her body was tired and she was ready to go to God's better place. Her passing has reminded me how blessed we are to have loving relationships in our lives.
My Goals for Relationships:
Make time to talk with my sister and brother on a weekly basis
Slow down, pause, be present and listen, really listen, when in conversation with others.
Reach out to the people who have crossed my path, and I found myself saying, "I will call you, we should get together". But I never did.
My Plans for Relationships:
Communicate with my sister and brother and set a time to talk on the phone weekly. Set a time for the three of us to FaceTime 2 times per month minimum.
When I get home from work, give my amazing husband Danny a kiss and ask how his day was; I will pause, be present and engage completely in our conversation.
Make a list of the people/couples Danny and I want to connect with and invite them to our home for dinner.
My Intentions for Health:
I will restore more consistent movement activities/exercise to my weekly routine.
Why it matters to me: When the gyms closed in 2020 I lost my movement/exercise routine. I can feel the changes in my body and I do not like it! My husband and I have built an exercise room in our house to help us restore our workout routine to an appropriate level.
My Goals for Health:
Establish a doable plan to reintroduce weight training and cardiovascular activity into my weekly and monthly schedule.
My Plan for Health:
Evaluate my weekly and monthly demands as a wife, stepmother, sibling, physician in private practice and friend to determine a realistic routine for adding more movement and exercise. I will use the techniques that I teach my patients to start slowly and maintain balance in my life.
Note: Trying to do it all at once most often ends in failure. As my office admin, Emily, says "something is better than nothing!"
Schedule one walk on the weekend with my husband Danny. This will work toward meeting my intension for relationships and health.
Use our home gym 1x/week and weight train one muscle group. This will start to carve out the time in my schedule. I will add time and other muscle groups on a bimonthly basis.
My Intentions for Personal Growth:
I will improve my reading skills, both comprehension and speed
Why it matters to me: I want to be able to consume more of the amazing information and knowledge in the written word!
My Goals for Personal Growth:
Be able to read inspectionly, analytically and syntopically with greater efficiency and speed.
My Plan for Personal Growth:
Review online reading programs and determine which one to train with
Schedule 20 minutes per week to learn a new reading skill/exercise
Practice new skill/exercise 2 times per week
If you're stuck on how to set your own intentions and goals, I can help! Give us a call at our office at 732-842-7004.