Goodbye to the Old, Hello to the New

I love a new year. It’s the perfect time to say goodbye to what hasn’t worked for you in the past, keep what has, and try something new. One doesn’t need to wait for the new year to begin, but what a perfect starting line to cross over into living your best life. But remember:

I’ve been choosing a word of the year for the past decade. Among them have been Pause, Love, Listen, Silence, Forgiveness, Peace, Joy, Grace… My word for 2024 is Humility. I love how C.S. Lewis describes humility:

Wow! Can I get an Amen?! 

I’ve never been able to master these words, but even a 5% improvement is better than where I was before. And who doesn’t want to be a better version of themselves?

I’ve been known to set completely out-of-reach goals, figuring in more time than I actually had, resulting in feeling defeated. Q4 of 2023, I began a better way of planning: I set quarterly goals. It’s more manageable/productive, and I get four “new” starts per year! It’s a win/win!

I review each prior quarter before planning the next to see what I realistically can achieve. (The only two things I’ll always put before writing, barring any emergencies, is time with God and family.) After that (Thanks to Sarra Cannon), I implemented the Kanban method of planning. I created three goals (writing, the business side of writing, and personal growth); I then break each goal into bite-sized chunks, putting each “bite” on a small sticky, a different color for each goal, which then goes on my board under the appropriate heading. They all start in the top row under “to-do” until I move them to the “in progress” row, and finally down to the “completed” row. I’ve included an example, but keep in mind there are lots and lots of stickies under each goal, with any number of them in the various rows at any one time.

It’s been hugely motivating for me and has gotten better results in one quarter than I got in the entire year of 2023. 

If you set goals, intentions, resolutions, or set a word of the year, I’d love to hear what they are! Are you usually able to keep them for the most part, or do they fall by the wayside as life gets moving through the year?

Wishing you all a most blessed, healthy, and joy-filled 2024!