Will 2020 be Your Year?

You know what I said to my son as we walked the dogs the other day? "I am so glad the Christmas chaos is over. I don't think the craziness of the season is how it's supposed to be."

Have you thought something similar?

And yet, this coming year will most likely be the same...

Or will it?

You see, we get to choose he we react to life's situations; holidays or otherwise.

If this past holiday season was more chaotic than you'd like, you can change how you do things this coming year.

And that applies to everything in your life, not just the holiday season.

So I ask you this question: Are you living a life you love? Are you living the full, abundant, life we are promised?

Why not?

What is in your way?

This week I hosted an online workshop called She Designed a Life She Loves. It's purpose was to guide women into making choices that will create a life they love living every day, not merely survive the year. Using reflection, values clarification, and goal setting exercises I guided over 50 women in developing an action plan for 2020 and beyond that reflects what they most want to accomplish in their lives.

We all understand that changing how we do things in 2020 will not come easily, and that our efforts will be met with mistakes, mishaps, misdirection, and missed opportunities. But we are choosing to move forward in favor of building lives we each love instead of allowing fear of failure, fear of missing out, and fear of making wrong choices to stop us.

The workshop is over, but I didn't want you to miss out so here's how you, too, can make 2020 your year:

1. Reflect. Make the time to review what the past 365 days have been like for you; not your family, your spouse, your dogs, or anyone else. For YOU. Look back at photos, your social media posts, your journals, and your planner/calendar. Then ask yourself the following questions:

1. What was great for me about last year?

2. Where did I struggle last year?

3. What do I want to be different this year?

Paying attention to the past allows us to learn from it so that we do not repeat the struggles and can re-purpose the triumphs. While reflection can sometimes be painful, the result is always growth as we recognize how much we faced and overcame. (and, yes, you are an over-comer. You made it to this year, didn't you?)

2. Reorganize: Most of us live our daily lives according to the urgent that pops up in front of us. Unfortunately, these items rarely reflect what we value most and steal our time away from them. Make the time to identify what you value most (ie: time with family, personal health, building your career, etc.) by asking yourself the following questions:

1. Who (or what) is most important to me?

2. How would my life be affected if ___________ was not in it? (Insert a person's name, an activity, etc.)

3. How would my life be improved if ___________________ was in it more often?m(Insert a person's name, an activity, etc.)

Creating a life you love is all about making the time for what you value; if you don't know what that is you will continue letting the urgent steal your time from you.

3. Reload: How have you been spending your time? Does it reflect your values? We all have the same 24 hours each day. Those of us who have a life we love are determined to use it according to our priorities and what we value most. We CHOOSE what to say yes to and what to say no to, letting our values, and not fear of disappointing others, dictate our choices. Determine your readiness to plan where your heart is by asking yourself these questions:

1. How ready am I to build a life based on what I want instead of what others want from or for me?

2. How willing am I to explore my options in changing how I have been using my time each day?

3. What possible benefits could come if I chose to use my time according to my priorities?

4. Relaunch: What do you want this coming year to look like? Designing a life you love doesn't just happen. You will have to change how you do things. But, knowing what to change is invaluable. This is where setting specific goals, and action steps top complete them, matters. Use the following questions to develop your goals and action steps for 2020:

1. What growth do you want to see for yourself this year?

2. How will you achieve that growth?

3. What is the first step you need to take for each are of growth you want to experience?

4. How will you know you have successfully reached your goal?

Designing a life you love can be done. It will take dedication, follow-through and perseverance, but you can make the changes you need to make to live a life you love. If you would like help, schedule a free discovery call to find out how working with me as your personal coach can help!

For additional goal-setting resources, check out the Calm the Chaos Boutique for planners, schedule management consulting and books!