There exists a multitude of memes on social media that poke fun at people who declare “new year, new me” at the end of every December, and today I am here to defend this community of believers. Is it wrong to be hopeful, or to believe that things can change with a new calendar year? Why heckle people who are trying to put their best foot forward in trying to revitalize their habits? Why not just mind our own business?
If you’re one of those people who loves jumping on goal-setting and habit tracking and redefining your vision board as many times as necessary, you’re not alone. Once the clock strikes midnight on January first, we’re a clean slate, in my opinion. What better way to kick a new year off than with a goal-setting workshop? Here are some suggestions for crafting new goals with your group of special people.
Note: I’m encouraging that we take this on with at least one or two other people to ensure accountability. You might want to think about reaching out to close friends, family, or whoever you’re in community with for this. Keep in mind that these suggestions work great for jumpstarting your 2022 plans, or as a way to reset goals every quarter.
Set intentions for your goal-setting workshop with a journaling prompt.
There is no better way to get the creative juices flowing than with a good ol’ journaling session. You and your group can spend some time thinking, writing, and sharing afterward (if people choose to).
Some journaling prompts to start with:
-What is (are?) your vision (visions?) for 2022?
-What are some things that you need more/less of?
-How do you want to feel at the end of the year?
-What would you need to achieve your vision?
Solidify what you want your goals to look like with a whole group discussion.
You can segue to discussions right after journaling to get a bit closer to what you need your goals to be for the year, as well as to address common pitfalls and mistakes we make when working on ourselves.
Discussion topics:
-Asking for support when it comes to reaching goals
-Accountability partners
-Ideas for resetting throughout the year (monthly or quarterly as needed)
Make it visual.
A vision board can be a nice daily reminder of what you’re hoping to embody in your everyday routine. Be sure to have some supplies on hand like magazines, pictures, journaling ephemera, scissors, glue sticks, markers, cardstock/posters cut in half for the group to work on individual vision boards.
Vision board ideas:
-What you want your 2022 to look like
-Choose a specific area of your life and make one based on that (ex: health, reading, work, etc.)
-A collection of things that make you feel happy (for motivation / staying grounded)
-A collection of funny things to make you laugh
At the end of this, you and your group will likely be more clear on the goals you’d like to work on throughout the year. Once you’ve decided on your areas of focus, write them down, put them somewhere you can see them often, and keep in contact with your accountability partner(s) to track progress.
