It seems the thing to do right now is set some goals for the New Year. Do you do that? Well, I am not going to. I know that each and every one of the next 365 days will be what I make of it. My mission is to let the day unfold as it is meant to, working within it’s boundaries, noticing the light or the lilt of my daughter’s voice; simply being here. My structured temperament certainly does not need more to-dos, especially after an exhausting couple of months of holidays and birthdays.
Though it was thoughtful and detailed, the goal-setting process when I used to work in a corporate office was pretty straightforward. Take a class, lead a team, or brush up on software skills by a certain date and document my progress. I could trust that the environment and the daily routine would be fairly consistent.
I have trouble doing the same thing now that I’m not in that setting. Granted, I’m pretty good at going forward with blind faith, and so far it’s worked rather well for me. Over the “winter break,” I was trying to work through a few goal-setting templates and found that I have absolutely no concept of what the next year will consist of and I don’t feel that I can map it out. Goals for how to shape each day are doable, but an entire year, where so much is out of my control? I can’t do that right now. I am totally flying by the seat of my pants most days, trying to keep the house clean, the bills paid on time, dinner made, and still spending a couple hours every night getting this kid to sleep. When I have “me time,” I read or blog or paint.
Let Everything Happen by Rainer Maria Rilke:
God speaks to each of us as he makes us,
then walks with us silently out of the night.
These are the words we dimly hear:
You, sent out beyond your recall,
go to the limits of your longing.
Embody me.
Flare up like flame
and make big shadows I can move in.
Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.
Just keep going. No feeling is final.
Don’t let yourself lose me.
Nearby is the country they call life.
You will know it by its seriousness.
Give me your hand.
Is it ok not to have big goals right now, like learning to scuba dive or doing a teacher certification training? Lol. I know it is, but I also strive for forward motion. I am so used to achieving! My 2013 goals were awesome. But for now, I am trusting that I am where I’m meant to be.
I’m rather spontaneous, so if one day I want to do something, I will definitely make it happen. Why plan it out? Just do it.
Rather than goals, this year I am forming intentions because I want to allow for some flexibility. Each of these relates back to an overarching theme of stillness, of being open to possibility, of cherishing the now. It’s funny, but my “goals” for now are the opposite of achieving. This year, I will try to find some internal calm, be ok with uncertainty, treat myself more gently. No small goals for me after all.
“The end of the year is a threshold — a passageway from the past
into the future. An opportunity to stop and listen to yourself, to
hear what your heart is really yearning for, to allow yourself to
ask for what you really need, and to find your way back home –
always to yourself.” ~ Cigdem Kobu
- Quiet Time every day – 5 minutes of pure silence and breathing
- Brave in vulnerability, stillness, uncertainty – This is my new mantra. Sitting with not knowing will be hard but will get easier and easier, I hope.
- Self-care practice – nourishing myself with little things
- Gratitude journal – Every night before bed, read the day’s portion of The Book of Awakening and write in my gratitude journal.
- Open to spirituality/calling – Notice synchronicity, feelings, etc. Read this type of books.
As always, I am so very grateful that anyone out there cares what I write here. I hope this new year will be one of meaning and adventure for each of you.
I love the Book of Awakening… starting my second cycle through. Deep wisdom in the practice of reading it everyday! My 14 word is intention so I saw your post title and had to peak around! Love your gratitude journal idea as well. I recently re-awakened the journal practice and even found a journal from when I was a 7th grade student. Amazing to look back at what I wrote then… and what I write today. Amazing themes emerged and dots were connected. Love the name of your blog and this space!
best,
debbie
debbie recently posted…Foto Friday Magic Trick: Image Transfer
So nice to meet you here, Debbie, and nice to hear that the Book of Awakening meant so much to you. Your comment reminds me that I want to look through some journals too. I’ve been meaning to thin them out so my daughter will never read all my teenage/college angst. 🙂
Thank you so much for the compliments!
Wonderful ideas Naomi. I tend to set more general in my head goals for the year and go by a day to day to do list. Seems to work for me. One thing I started a few years back is to write my to do’s in pencil…that way if I don’t accomplish something, guess what? I can erase it and add it to another day!
Btw, I love your photos! I feel like I’m “there” in the photo. Happy New Year!
Love the word ‘stillness’ – as both an intention and a goal! And – it would seem that you’ve already begun to embody it. Beautiful!
I am SO trying, Marcie. Today I really did not feel like doing what I had planned, and so I didn’t. I read an entire book instead, and it felt great. 🙂
Your photos are the perfect reflection of your goals! Love both pictures with the water.
I’ve got The Book of Awakening too sitting right here on my kitchen table to read daily as well!
How wonderful to think that we are reading the same passage each day! Knowing this made it that much more satisfying for me this morning. 🙂
Hi Naomi…thank you so much for your insight into Brene Brown’s eclass. I am very excited to get started this sunday. I love your intentions for this new year…as I read your post I felt such a sense of calm…so nice. i wish you all the best in the year ahead.
I totally feel you on living life one step at a time. While I have given myself a few resolutions, I remind myself that I have the whole year to do them and they are in no way concrete. If things change, or I change that’s OK and I need to roll with it and adapt. In fact one of my resolutions this year through One Little Word is to BALANCE better. So even if I have a goal and it just isn’t working for me, my main goal is to keep my priorities on top.
Tiffany recently posted…Welcome to The Fit Knitter + New Year’s Resolutions
First, let me tell you how much I love the new look on your blog. Nicely done! And yes, I completely agree with your approach to balance. 🙂 I’m doing OLW too.
Thanks! It was a bit of a nightmare at first but I think it’s going to be smooth sailing from here on out. Well we can be OLW buddies then and throw a middle finger out to the book if we darn so please or feel the need together haha.
Tiffany recently posted…Welcome to The Fit Knitter + New Year’s Resolutions
Yes. And I was thinking that, given your quick blog turnaround, we may be fellow inpulsives. Are you also passionate, spontaneous, and a hard-worker?
Haha that seems almost exactly me – although I like nice break now and again like the next gal… especially the impulsive, once I get something in my head it’s getting DONE. It can be quite an obnoxious trait at times.
Tiffany recently posted…Welcome to The Fit Knitter + New Year’s Resolutions
I know, I know. 🙂
Such lovely pictures of the Arboretum! I support your mindfulness goal. That is a enriching kind of mental exercise that has so many benefits, especially reducing your level of anxiety! Some years I’ve made a big goal that did take planning and effort, and I don’t regret that. In the summer of 2010 I started training for the Disney Princess half marathon, which I ran with 3 friends in February 2011. That was a positive change in my life, and I’ve run much more frequently since then, and been more physically fit. But the time commitment of training is something that can take away from other very worthwhile parts of your life. When you’re so busy, you certainly won’t make yourself happier by making additional demands on your time. Your attitude toward business goals is much more positive than mine. Maybe it’s because you’ve experienced them as more predictable.
I am right here with you… Letting each day unfold in the way it’s supposed to. I am not making any plans or goals per se… I am doing a 365 photo journey focused on gratitude, and I hope that will lead me somewhere “good.” But I have not sat down and thought…I want to do this, this and that. I have no idea where this year will take me…I just have to trust it will be better than I could dream.
Caroline recently posted…Lean into it…
That’s exactly it, Caroline. It’s always better than we could ever dream up. I did a mini-gratitude poster recently and have it hanging in my office. I love it. Little nose kisses with my daughter, me in my car, typing on my computer, cruncy leaves underfoot, my kitties, flowers… all the images are of moments/things/people I am so grateful for.
I don’t have any large goals to strive for this year either – that would be WAY too much pressure!!
Where is that photo taken of the picture frame looking stonework reflecting in the water?
I finally got a chance to go to the Dallas Arboretum. We took a short trip over the break to get a change of scenery. 🙂
It’s pretty! Would be fun for a family photo session!