It’s a new year again, a time when many of us set resolutions and goals for the year. At the beginning of last year, I shared how to choose New Year’s resolutions that will make you happy. (See: How To Make New Year’s Resolutions That Will Make You Happy .)
If you are in the process of making your resolutions for 2015, here are the 7 steps again:
1. Pick an area of your life that is important to you (This could be Friendships, Family, Significant Other, Career, Health/Self Care, Personal Growth, Spirituality/Faith, Physical Environment, Personal Finances, Community, or Fun & Recreation/Hobbies, etc.)
2. In the area that you picked, what do you want to change in 2015?
3. In the area that you picked, what do you want to start doing in 2015?
4. In the area that you picked, what do you want to let go of or stop doing in 2015?
5. What are you ready to commit to doing in the first 3 months of 2015?
6. Let’s make sure that the intentions you set will actually make you happy! Research tells us that to be happy, we need to set goals that we choose ourselves, that are meaningful to us, and where we actually enjoy every step of the journey. (You can read more at : http://pauerconsulting.com/how-to-set-goals-that-make-you-happy/) So ask yourself:
a. Is this something you really want to do, or is this something you are doing because society tells you to or others are expecting from you?
b. Is this meaningful and important to you? (Are you doing this because of a deep personal belief or a strong interest?)
c. How can you make sure that you will enjoy and savor every step of the journey on your way to your goal?
7. Celebrate and acknowledge yourself – but don’t wait until the end! We often think that reaching a goal will make us happy. And while it does bring us a sense of accomplishment, it is really the enjoyment of the journey that brings us the most happiness. So let’s make our journey a fun one!
Last year, one of the themes that emerged for me was that I really wanted to consciously practice “enjoying every step of the journey” every day, no matter what I am doing, since it is so integral to happiness. This took a lot of practice, especially since we live in such a goal-oriented culture, but I kept at it and along with my other happiness practices, I was truly able to able to create more happiness in my life, even during the periods that were difficult and challenging.
For this coming year, I want to continue to focus on creating happiness, with a special focus on my career and my personal finances. Relationships will always come first, but building some stability in those two areas will give me more peace of mind.
What is your resolution for 2015?
Manuela loves helping professional women bring more balance, happiness and success into their lives! Visit Manuela’s Website for Professional Career and Life Coaching.