New Year, New Me?
If you are feeling the pressure to set New Year resolutions or pick your word or phrase for the year, then don’t worry, I’ve got you. How about for 2024 instead of ‘New Year, New Me’, we have ‘New Year, Improved Me’? Last year I wrote a blog post about why New Year resolutions fail (which you can read here) so rather than repeat that, I’m going to give you an alternative.
A couple of years ago I read The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson after it was recommended to me by my coach at the time. In it, Jeff identifies seven areas of your life to focus on. They are your health, your happiness, your friendships and relationships, your personal development, your finances, your career and your positive impact on the world. After reading the book I started to set monthly goals and daily habits for each of these areas.
I use a yearly planner that has blank monthly calendars (so I can start my month with each New Moon) and a monthly review that includes a life balance wheel (that I fill in after the Third Quarter Moon). The eight areas on the wheel are health & fitness, personal development, career & business, financial, romantic relationship, family & friends, quality of life and spiritual. Which lines up nicely with Jeff’s seven areas.
In chapter 17 ‘Living The Slight Edge’, Jeff gives an exercise where you can set “one simple, single, easy-to-do activity” that you can do “day in and day out, that will have the greatest impact” on the seven areas. Earlier in the book, there is also an exercise to determine where you currently are in those areas.
At the front of the planner is a ‘My Journey’ section where you can write down where you currently are in each of these eight areas, where you want to be, why you want to be there and how you will get there. There are then pages to write down three goals for each area for the year, followed by your most important 5 goals for the year and then 5 quarterly goals.
So rather than just rattling off some resolutions and setting some goals because you should, why not start by evaluating where you currently are in your life and how you want to improve it instead? You can then use that information to set goals for the year that you actually want, and then break them down into quarterly, monthly, and weekly goals, and daily habits.
As I write this blog post, Mercury has ended their retrograde and the Third Quarter Moon is approaching, making this an ideal time to start looking at those different areas of your life and what you want. I will be doing this later, and then setting my yearly, quarterly and monthly goals under the Capricorn New Moon next week.
How you do this is entirely up to you. Maybe you will meditate or journal around each area. I will be drawing tarot cards as this is my favourite method. I find tarot to be a powerful tool in discovering what is really going on, even those things we try to deny to ourselves. The cards drawn can be used as a journal prompt or to mediate on for answers. I’m not here to tell you how to do it, I’m just here to guide you and share what works for me.
My tarot spread is based on a simple and traditional 3 card spread. One card for the past, present and future. I draw 3 cards to begin for each area to represent my current situation, my vision and why I want it. I then draw as many cards as I feel are needed to find my strategy.
As someone who always has several trains of thought at the same time, I find tarot cards to be the best way to focus and get answers. My squirrel brain is easily distracted and extremely hard to quiet!!
I hope you have found this week's blog helpful. If looking at eight areas of your life seems a little daunting, then start with just one and return to the others later in the day or week. You don’t have to do everything all at once, as Jeff Olson says, “No matter how great your aspirations, how tall the dream and great the leap it means, the eternally repeating truth of the slight edge is that it is always built of small, simple steps. Easy to do - and just as easy not to do.”
If you would like help and support in setting your goals for 2024 then book a Moon and Tarot Reading with me using the button below and let's set you some goals that will excite you for the year and keep you motivated long past January!!
