Off the Rails… (How to stay on track for your 2024 goals).
Sometimes the new year starts with that day-one, “Let's go!” fresh-start energy that is so delicious when you've got a list of goals to tackle.
But sometimes…you feel like a train after it's been stationary for a long time –just trying to get those first, slow, chug…chug…chuga…chuga wheels turning.
You find yourself needing to ease into it for momentum to pick up.
Mostly, I want to address those times you worry that your train has already derailed before you've had a chance to make any dent in those shiny new year goals & intentions.
That can happen, and I want you to know that it's normal.
Often it's due to internal resistance and fear: suddenly you find yourself making excuses, because all that “New Year, New You” energy is a big, scary load of pressure:
You tell yourself you can't jumpstart your new business plan, make those uncomfortable calls, or write the dang article until you've reorganized all your files, color-coded your bookshelves, and found the best pen ever.
Other times external events get in the way:
-Your new early-morning fitness routine is wrecked when the gym staff doesn't show up.
-You have to scrap your first productive-work day to rush your dog to the vet after two meanie dogs attack him.
-A meeting that's been on the books for months gets rescheduled & relocated.
(Yes, all of these happened to me last week –but I felt calm about it. I'll tell you why.)
Over my years of coaching, I've learned that when we set a clear, powerful intention, resistance is one of the first things that can come up.
Internal resistance (fear, excuses), yes.
But sometimes external resistance, too. –Like Something is testing our intention.
(I'm going to eschew using “Universe” or “God,” since they're such loaded words. But there's an energy of push-back that can suddenly happen).
It's like we're being asked, “Do you really mean it? Are you really committed to this?”
It's tempting to give up, fall back into old habits, beat up on ourselves, or decide we were aiming too high.
But if you realize that this “testing” moment is part of the process, you can take a deep breath, avoid the freakout, and simply realign with your goal or intention.
You can say, “Oh, there it is. I was expecting the Resistance to show up."
You can find the original track you were meant to be on, give yourself some compassion & understanding, recommit to the goal or intention, and just get those wheels chugging along again.
This is one of the concepts I'll be addressing at the Soulful Solopreneur Intention-Setting Workshop this Friday at 11am ET. (Register here).
We'll be digging into some of the insights from the Soulful Solopreneur: Annual Workbook for Reflection & Renewal*, planning out your 2024 based on these insights, and giving you support and ideas to help you take real action –so 2024 can be your best yet in business.
I hope you'll join us.
And whether you come to the workshop or not, I hope the next time you face resistance (internal or external), you'll take a breath, dust off your lil' caboose, and get yourself right back on the rails.
You've got this.