Re-Structuring New Year’s Resolutions
I love the start of a New Year, but the plethora of ‘self-help’ goal setting articles get to be overwhelming. This time of year I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes from his Holiness the Dalai Lama. When asked about what surprised him most about humanity, he responded…
“Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”
To me this quote represents many of us living in North America, and also represents how our goals are set and worked towards. The typical creation of New Year’s resolutions is divided into lists with headings such as Financial, Health, Work, Love, and Family. Instead of these disjointed lists I create ‘integrated goals’. What are integrated goals? They are goals that include awareness of the intention and motivation behind our sought after accomplishment. Each goal I set includes the following three components:
1. Achievement: WHAT I am going to achieve
2. Motivation: WHERE I am going to get the stamina & energy to work towards it
3. Intention: WHY I want to achieve it
Example Goal: ‘Expand my side business’
1. Achievement: Expand the growth of my business & increase revenues
2. Motivation: Increase my energy so I can wake up two hours earlier and have time to send emails to new clients. Decreasing my coffee consumption so I can think clearly and make more precise business decisions. Eat more protein so I don’t crash at 4pm everyday without energy.
3. Intention: To make more money so that I can take my family on vacation, pay off bills, work for myself, and donate more to charities I am passionate about.
As you can see, this one goal actually addresses three components of life…
1. Achievement: (FINANCIAL) Increasing revenue is a strictly financial goal.
2. Motivation: (HEALTH) Identifies what self-care changes need to be made to support the physical and mental stamina needed to achieve the goal.
3. Intention: (LOVE & FAMILY) The core intention of this goal is to invest in family memories, become more self-sufficient, and contribute to the world by supporting social causes.
One goal usually contains achievements we strive to create in other areas of our lives. When we are aware of these connections our intention becomes deeper and the will to achieve our goal becomes stronger. I hope this simple exercise helps you connect to your ideal 2013. I have a feeling it is going to be a very good year!
Share your integrated goals in the comments below!
