Right at the start of January, as an enthusiastic supporter of goal setting, I dutifully spent time deciding upon my four key goals for the year. I was committed. I was excited. I was motivated.
It is now nearing the end of February and I have done almost nothing towards actioning any of my goals. Why?
I could blame how banana-pants crazy the world has been. It is not often we get headlines about an abducted president or a member of a royal family being arrested. And closer to home, last Friday, a building at my son’s school caught fire. There were no injuries, only property damage but the kids all need to stay at home this week so that the building can be demolished safely.
My attention has been taken up by happier goings-on as well. We have been away enjoying the summer, spent time celebrating family birthdays and watching way too much Winter Olympics. Plus there is just life in general to tackle – work, kids and finding time to sleep needs to be squeezed in.
In the end, the ‘why’ doesn’t matter. There is still almost 90% of the year left so there is plenty of time to refocus. But, this year, I am not going to be all rah-rah cheerleader about reigniting your goals. This is for those of you who need a caring nudge rather than an energetic goading.
Here are three gentle actions to get back into your groove…
1) Do One Thing
We are told to ‘eat that frog’—do the hardest or most impactful task first. But sometimes eating that frog seems too daunting. So don’t. Simply do one thing towards a goal that works for you right now. It may not be the most productive or critical action but it is something.
Read a book in the interests of research instead of writing the next chapter. Go for a short walk instead of your usual run. Have date night in the living room instead of trying to dress up and find babysitters. You can take this to the extreme. Can’t face 20 push-ups? Commit to doing just one.
Why this gentle action works: Doing one thing reduces overwhelm. It creates a ripple effect that moves you forward in a peaceful way. And it lightly reveals the next step towards your goal.
2) Commit to One Ritual
Rituals, traditions and habits reaffirms that you no matter what happens out there you can keep your word to yourself. Commit to one ritual that you can easily keep up on a regular basis.
I like to thank my bed each morning followed by a few quick sun salutations. When we eat dinner as a family, we pause for a few seconds to say thank you. This is a general thank you to the food producers, the stores, whoever cooked that night and the fact we get to sit at the dinner table and have a meal together.
Why this gentle action works: Committing to one ritual can give you a sense of control. When the world is banana-pants crazy, rituals, habits and traditions help you feel settled.
3) Tidy Up One Area
Choose a small area and put on a timer for, say, up to 15 minutes. You will usually know the spot to choose, that one area that has been annoying you the most recently. Tidy up your handbag, the kitchen counter or the place where everyone leaves their shoes, for example. Straight after I finish this, I am going to clean out my bathroom drawer.
Remove everything from the space. Give it a quick clean, wipe or shake out. Then only place back what belongs there. Put everything else aside for now. You will deal with that later. Walk away from the decluttered area and then come back and look at it again. Do you feel a sense of relief?
Why this gentle action works: Tidying up one area provides much-needed freedom, not just in the physical sense but mentally as well. That sense of relief you felt is due being unshackled from your stuff. It signals the start of a journey to pare down to the most essential, important and beautiful in your life.
Gently Does It
When the world is this banana-pants crazy there is no point berating ourselves for not achieving like we thought we would. Gentle actions like doing one thing towards your goal, committing to one ritual and tidying up one area provide us with reduced overwhelm, more control and a vital sense of freedom despite our hectic lives.
These gentle actions remind you that no matter what is going on you can do something for yourself. They are soothing. They are profound. They are grounding. And, yes, this is true even if you are tidying up a tiny bathroom drawer.
Check out these books for more ideas and inspiration:
For more on Doing One Thing check out: Super Sexy Goal Setting
For more on Committing to One Ritual check out: Embrace Your Awesomeness
For more on Tidying Up One Area check out: Clutter-Free Forever
If you enjoyed this blog post you may like these ones:
GOALS
3 Simple Steps to Setting Goals that Stick
3 Compelling Reasons to Absolutely LOVE Goal Setting
3 Ways to Reinvigorate Your 2021 Goals
3 Goal-Setting Setbacks that Should NOT Stop You Achieving Your 2021 Goals
3 Reasons Why SMART Goals are Dumb
RITUALS
3 Fun Gratitude Practices to Incorporate into Your Day
3 Revelations from 1,000 Sun Salutations
3 Sparkle-Infused Challenges to Ignite Your Year
3 Happiness Habits Guaranteed to Bring Cheer to Your Day
3 Silly Ways to Rediscover Your Sparkle in Less Than 5 Seconds
3 Self-Love Affirmation Practices Guaranteed to Brighten Your Day
DECLUTTERING
3 Intangible Benefits of Decluttering
3 Quick Decluttering Victories in Lockdown (or any time)
3 Daring Ways to Buy Less and Live More
3 Stress-Free Ways to Reduce Waste at Christmas
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