With the new year approaching in less than 24 hours, the internet is booming with posts about letting go of the old, welcoming the new and, you guessed it- new year’s resolutions that we may or may not stick to. To a certain extent, I agree. The new year is an ideal time to let go of old baggage and toxic relationships and set goals for the upcoming year that will lead you to living your best life.

However, a lot of times these goals can come from a place of lack and be unrealistic, leading to feelings of discouragement and failure. So many of us set the same goals every year and become consumed with disappointment when December rolls around and we continue to indulge in holiday leftovers wondering why we don’t look like the models on Instagram.

Rather, if you look within yourself and discover your values, then you can create meaningful goals that arise from a place of love and abundance instead of lack and fear. Because these goals will resonate with your true self and life purpose, you will be more likely to stick to them and attain success. You will also feel more satisfied because you will have worked towards something that is alignment with your long-term goals and life vision.

During the process, it is equally as important to set realistic and achievable goals that do not compare yourself or your journey to that of others. The only real goal we can ever hope for is keep growing into better versions of ourselves, and continuously moving forward after the inevitable setbacks. A practical way to do this is by setting small goals with measurable progress. This also serves as an excellent way to stay motivated and reward yourself for your hard work and dedication.

In the past few weeks, I have gotten more questions and messages than ever before about holistic wellness within mind, body and spirit, and how this ties into to effective goal setting that is the most likely to be successful. The simplest way is to determine the major aspects of your life and make your vision clear. Then create an action plan by setting small, attainable goals within each category. Here, I will share a few examples of my own goals that can hopefully inspire yours for 2019.

SPIRITUAL
Increase daily meditation time from 20 minutes to 30 minutes, including mindset.
Attend Eckhart Tolle’s School of Awakening from January – June 2019.

PHYSICAL
Cook nutritious meals 3 days per week.
Incorporate more HIIT routines into 30 minute daily workout 2-3 days per week.

SOCIAL
Go out to dinner and one fun activity per month with mom, in addition to Friday nights.
Family trip to Toronto during the summer.
Limit social media use by consciously paying attention to daily time spent on platforms.

CAREER
Create nursing protocol by April and have it approved by manager.
Attend an Integrative Medicine Lecture and present to staff at meeting.

MIND (GROWTH & CREATIVITY)
Publish at least one blog post per week.
Read 10 books in 2019.

FUN
Solo trip to volunteer abroad.
Attend three new music festivals or concerts.

Sharing your goals with someone supportive who you can trust will help you stay accountable for what you’re setting out to achieve, making you more likely to stick to it. Refer back to your goals frequently and remind yourself of the greater vision and why you originally chose these goals. Remember, goals do not always have to be grand; they can just as easily be as simple as continuing what has worked for you, changing what has not, and striving to make small improvements in each aspect of your life.

2018 started off for me as a dreaded continuation from 2017 of the worst year of my life thus far. But as I built myself and my life back up from scratch, strengthened my inner peace, landed my dream job, got my own apartment, started coaching, and met some beautiful humans who changed my life for the better, I ended up somewhere pleasantly unexpected and quickly discovered the greatest lesson I have ever learned:

The darkest wound is the portal to the brightest light. 

This is the year I learned to let go and let it be, because everything is exactly as it is meant to be and the present moment is the only one that matters. It’s smart to have a plan, but it requires wisdom to understand the significance of the greater plan. If you do not attain your goals, do not be discouraged- life rarely goes according to plan and more often than not, you learn more from what went wrong than what goes right. Look within, stay present, and be grateful for everything in life that gives you purpose and brings you joy.

Lastly, I wanted to take a moment to thank you all once again for your support in 2018- I know it wasn’t the most consistent year for Spirit Life but I will try my best to make 2019 better. Also, Spirit Life Coaching is accepting new clients for 2019 and I couldn’t be more excited to embark on this new journey with you all! Wishing everyone a prosperous year of inner peace, growing kindness, new experiences, intentional living, and endless love and laughter in each day!