Hello 2017!

Say whattttttt, 2007 freaking teen. 

Oh time, you’re such a beautiful conundrum, you do me so good and sometimes, you do me so wrong.

But in this scenario, I’m feeling SO DAMN GOOD.

Today’s focus + theme should be totally expected, I mean come on, it’s the new year babes. But it should also be expected because I am a self-proclaimed, self-help junkie, whose mildly (okay, incredibly) obsessed with fine tuning, discovering and exploring the process of LIVING THE JOURNEY.

…….sorry for the many all caps scenarios, I’m excited, okkkkurrrrr.

Here’s the deal.

Every “new year” we all experience the pressure to set goals, we then proclaim them to the world and work feverishly to prove that we’re engaging with them – hello Facebook + Insta posts galore of people working out and eating healthy (guilty as charged).

But then real life settles in, the day-to-day routine, the reality of attempting to be a superstar. And as we’ve all experienced, the goals start to unravel, one or two goals get dismissed, we unravel a bit more….and a bit more, and a bit more.

And Bam.

It’s almost another new year and we’re in the same space where we left off, like HOLY MIND FUCK.

• What if this new year we changed the scenario?
• What if this new year we did shit differently?
• What if this new year we come together as a community, versus doing it all alone?
• What if this new year we dare to live greatly?
• What if this new year is OUR YEAR?

You down with that?

Good, because that’s the direction I’m headed, and in my opinion – the road less traveled is so much more enjoyable when in good company.

So with all of that said, below is how I plan for the new year. I invite you to explore my process + layer in what works and speaks to your soul. We’re all human beings, having an epic human experience, independent of one another, yet also dependent of one another. So while this method speaks volumes to my personal journey, it might be mute to yours.

You Do You.

Now, let me stop rambling and let’s get into this.

Let’s Live 2007 mother freaking teen!

New Year’s Goal + Reflections – Pin now, get clear on your goals now, set your goals now, and learn how to take action now!

1. Write 2016 a Letter

This might seem silly, but stick with me babes. 

How in the world can we expect to move forward, if we don’t reflect + appreciate + understand what unfolded in the year past. That’s a rhetorical question, hence the lack of a question mark.

But really, how have I never thought of this when goal setting? Well, I finally did, and now I’m sharing it with you.

Before we start the manifestation + intention setting process, I encourage writing your 2016 year a letter of thanks. Write out all the beautiful, profound, lesson learning, memorable moments. And as you write, I guarantee the corners of your mouth will begin to slowly lift, your heart will begin to soften, and you’ll be reminded how incredible this thing called life is.

Below are a few of my favorites from 2016:

• I GOT MARRIED – duh, that had to be number one.
• I’M A WIFE – okay, we get it.
• Our best friends got married – okay, okay, enough of the marriage talk.
• I traveled & experienced so many new places – Hawaii (heart forever stolen), Puerto Rico, Denver, Austin and the Bahamas.
• My sister had a healthy, beautiful baby girl. Auntie Allie round two.
• I taught yoga to 250 people at a music festival, whoa, major life event.
• Myers and I were tested on such a deep level, a level that was meant to be.
• I grew a big set of balls and ferociously pursued creating an online community, The Journey Junkie.

…… let’s be real, this list could result in a 1,000 page novel, so I digress. But you get the point.

New Year’s Goal + Reflections – Pin now, get clear on your goals now, set your goals now, and learn how to take action now!

2. Write Big Ass Goals

Okay 2016, you had your time to shine, it’s 2017’s turn. 

I learned from Danielle LaPorte’s book – The Fire Starter Sessions – that’s it’s vital to manifest BIG ASS GOALS. The first step in achieving “our dreams” is giving them feet to stand upon. So while it’s great to secretly think of goals xyz, it won’t do anyone a service to keep them inside.

The moment we speak OUR TRUTH, our authentic intentions aloud, is the moment our dreams become goals (or intentions).

So with that said, I like to start my manifestation sessions with the scariest, feel like they’re never attainable, how the hell could I ever pull it off type goals. I promise it feels good, like so good to get these babies down on paper.

Don’t hold back here, let your dreams flow!

Below are a few of mine to get ya started:

• Successfully create + launch my first product, like with a price tag attached to it (and a large dose of myself attached to it).
• Ge sponsored on both The Journey Junkie YouTube channel and my future podcast…. stay tuned, the podcast is dropping soon!
• Fall deeper in LOVE with my husband.
• Create a program to help educate + coach online and in studio health professionals, think yoga teachers, fitness instructors, personal trainers, acupuncture, massage therapists, etc. I want to hone my marketing degree to help manifest others dreams into reality!
• Lead a YOGA RETREAT – eeeeek.
• Get a tattoo I’ve been pondering on.

……and now for the really big shit.

• Write a book, get published, travel the nation promoting it, create a community centered on it.
• Lead international yoga + life coach retreats.
• Train for my 500 HR yoga certification + life coach certification.
• Open a retreat center in Hawaii – say whhhhaatttttt, barely can believe this one myself.

New Year’s Goal + Reflections – Pin now, get clear on your goals now, set your goals now, and learn how to take action now!

3. Get Specific

After you let your mind wander and release all those big ass goals, come back to present moment and let’s get real.

 While it’s necessary to DREAM BIG, the actual magic unfolds within our day-to-day actions. This step is the nitty-gritty, so let’s the tone.

Take a BIG, expansive, all-encompassing, beautiful breath into the body. And exhale a BIG sighhhhh.

I recommend categorizing your life based on the goals you want to achieve. For example, my categories look like this:

• Self-care and self-love – rituals, intentions, habits
• Relationships, aka my husband.
• Growth + Development as a yoga teacher and student
• The Journey Junkie
• Current + future projects related to The Journey Junkie
• Goal numbers for The Journey Junkie
• Future Podcast Project

From this space, I recommend creating a thorough plan of how to achieve “the goal.”

Get Specific.

For example, I wrote in the below photo – “Grow my e-mail list to 60,000 people.” Okay great, that’s a fancy, big ass number. But how am I actually going to do that?

The answer could be something along the lines of….

• Do x amount of free series, which leads to – what are your series?
• Increase traffic which increases email sign-ups.
• Guest post on bigger websites to increase traffic and achieve the above.
• Create a FB ad marketing plan to gain more exposure.
• Collaborate with another well-known people in my sphere.

Are you starting to understand how this works?

You have to fine tune this stuff, it won’t just magically appear……although wouldn’t that be epic.

Once I’ve done all of the above, I then invite my categories into the weekly landscape of what needs to get done. I list out each category at the top of my planner, jot down what needs to be achieved that specific week, on what day, and even at what time.

Throughout the week, based on my productivity levels and life in general, I’ll fine tune the goals set. Sometimes, my original goals were too damn much, but other times I’m distracted and not committed. So, it’s an ebb and a flow of recognizing the reality, but also consitently pushing myself to try harder and get more done.

New Year’s Goal + Reflections – Pin now, get clear on your goals now, set your goals now, and learn how to take action now!

4. Check Back In

And lastly – Check Back In with yourself.

This step is easily the most important one of all. Like hands down, if this step doesn’t happen, all of the above is null and void. I don’t want us experiencing that deja vu scenario of  “where did the year even go.”

Decide what works for your journey. Like I said above, we’re all having different experiences in this thing called life, so there’s no right or wrong answer on how to check in.

Personally, this is where I fall short.

I’m  great at the day-to-day, get shit done, check the tasks off the list type stuff. But, I’m not great at checking back in with my bigger, scare me but excite me type goals. And this is where real transformation happens, the kind where you reflect a decade back and think – Wow, I made it.

So, decide what works for you.

• Weekly
• Every other week
• Monthly
• Quarterly
• Twice a year

Feel free to experiment here too. Try weekly, then move to monthly. Or do it monthly, then move to quarterly.

You Do You.

And I’ll Do Me.

And together, we’ll begin the incredible process of living our 2017 + living our journey. 

Let’s Talk – How do you prepare for the new year? Do you have a goal setting ritual/practice? Are you intimidated by the idea of goal setting? Do you use a specific planner or style to set goals? Was this post helpful and inspiring? What tips or tricks can you add to the conversation?

As always – comments, questions, suggestions and general live your journey tips are welcome down below.

Until next time, xoxo.

New Year’s Goal + Reflections – Pin now, get clear on your goals now, set your goals now, and learn how to take action now!