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Being Present in the Pursuit of Tomorrow
This time of year tends to be very goal-oriented, and while it's important to have goals it's also okay to not get too caught up in the future and to be mindful of the present. These tips are about balancing the here and now with your goals for tomorrow.
Happy New Year! This day can hold a lot of pressure with resolutions and big changes. Stay present in today and enjoy the simple moments in this day. Your goals aren't going anywhere! It's just as important to not focus on our goals as it is to work toward them.
What are three things you can do today that will help towards your goals? Once you figure that out, do them one at a time! When you're done, shift back into living in today. You will feel better enjoying the present moment when you know you were productive as well.
It's normal for things in life to move slowly at times. Last year was so unusual and we are still navigating a pandemic. Make daily reminders to reassure yourself that you're on track, even if you feel like you're not. As the saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day.
Take some time to journal about a few of your short term goals. How can you work at being flexible when making plans to achieve them? Make sure to include daily rest and self care in these plans.
Creating space each day to have quiet time with yourself is a great way to feel more capable of taking on the future. Reminding ourselves that, at this moment, we are here in the now helps us take space from the pressures of the past and future.
When your thoughts get overwhelmed by the future or past, catch yourself! Stop what you're doing and recentre. What are 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can touch, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste? Remember, you're in THIS moment.
Play Make a Wish. Put your dreams out into the universe and get back inspirational quotes to keep you focused and positive! Then do two things today, however small, that will help you work towards those dreams or goals!
Sometimes our goals can feel far away or even unattainable. Remember that it takes time to build the kind of life you want. Congratulate yourself on being where you are at today! You're doing enough
Rest is one of the most important ingredients in acheiving your goals. Take some time to truly relax and let yourself feel peace for a few moments. Your body, mind, and soul will thank you for it.
Take a look at S.M.A.R.T goals! They are a great model to create goals that you can work toward and achieve. Make self care S.M.A.R.T goals as well. We need to balance work and rest, and planning both can be super helpful.
Have you tried journey mapping? It's a way to create a visual representation of the process of reaching your goals. There are many templates online, or you can do it in your own creative way! After, reward yourself with something that can bring you back to the present.
When you find yourself ruminating on the past or worrying about the future, repeat an affirmation to yourself related to the resilience that brought you here. That resilience has gotten you through many obstacles, and it will get you through many more. You are resilient!
How often do you go for a mindful walk? A walk where your phone is on silent/out of sight and where you truly notice and observe your surroundings, instead of being wrapped up in all of your thoughts? Make it a goal to try this at least once a week if you can.
It can be easy to compare ourselves to others, especially when they seem to be successfully accomplishing goals while you feel stuck. Know that everyone's journey is different and cannot be compared. You are doing the best you can with what you have, and that is enough.
When you're actively working towards your goals, try to just focus on one thing at a time. Multitasking often takes up more time and results in more errors. There's a reason mindfulness is important, and we can't be mindful when multitasking.
Try to make lists with short-term goals for the week so you can have smaller tasks to check off and feel accomplished. It'll also help you stay present and focussed on the things you can do each day, rather than getting too preoccuppied with what you want in 5 years.
Celebrate your small successes! Afterall, the bigger successes are usually a result of many small ones, so make sure to show yourself appreciation for the steps along the way.
Make time to check in with yourself. Are you getting so caught up in your goals and what you DO, rather than remembering what or who you love and who you ARE? Reflect on this and see what changes you might need to make to recentre.
Keep a working list of the things you HAVE accomplished. Look back on it when you're struggling to find motivation for your current goals. You've done hard things before, you can do them again — no matter how small they may seem to others or yourself!
When setting short-term goals, consider what your body needs in the present to thrive in the future. Feeling isolated? Try reaching out to a friend. Feeling lethargic? Get rest and call it an early night. It's easier to meet long-term goals when current needs are met!
2020 taught us that we never know what tomorrow will bring. This can be scary, but it means if we aren't presently fulflled, it might be time to make changes. It's great to work toward goals for your future, but you shouldn't have to sacrifice current happiness for them.
Navigating expectations behind a goal can explain why you set it in the past. What made you want to do this? Were there external influences like friends or family? How will your life change when you achieve this? Now, reflect on these to refine your goal going forward.
Are you struggling to figure out what your passions are? Try one of these activities to help discover them: https://www.personalgrowthchannel.com/2017/08/how-to-find-your-passion-with-5.html
A popular saying is 'you become like the 5 people you spend the most time with.' As you work toward your goals, it's important to have people who love you, encourage you and tell you the truth when you need it most — and they should have traits that you'd like to mirror!
Accomplishing year-long resolutions can be daunting. Instead, break them up by setting daily or weekly intentions. Want to 'be more active'? Be mindful of this by doing a quick stretch twice a week. Then, build up to other exercise, rather than avoiding it altogether.
Attempting to realize our professional aspirations can be a very tricky form of goal-setting. Try answering some of these questions to help you navigate your 2021 career goals: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/23/7-simple-questions-to-help-form-your-2021-career-goals.html
We have different priorities every day. Sometimes school is at the top of the list, and other times it's health, work, family, or friendships and relationships. It's normal to have to change these regularly, and doesn't mean we're neglecting our broader goals when we do.
To make tough decisions that align with your goals, try 'working backwards' in your head. When you come to a crossroads, think about who you want to become down the road, or what you want to end up doing. Then, try seeing which choice best fits with future you.
Having trouble figuring out what motivates you, how you work best, or what your strengths are? Take some of these free personality tests, as they might help you discover things you didn't know about yourself: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/personality-tests
It might seem like your accomplishments are everything, but more than tangible things you did, people will always remember how you made them feel. If you feel overwhelmed by resolutions and goals, just remember: simply being kind can have the greatest impact on others.
Remember that you don't HAVE to achieve any of your goals. Life might get in the way, you may change your mind about them, or it may become harmful for you to push yourself to work for them. All of these things are okay. You are worthy no matter what!
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