Listen to this episode at: www.femalesinfinefettle.com/021 PODCAST TRANSCRIPT: Episode 021 - Purposeful Planning for 2018 (and beyond) Ashlie Rose: Hello out there Ashlie Rose here with Dr. Michelle. Dr. Michelle: Hey ladies Ashlie Rose: It is December And our theme this month is Gratitude and Reflection. For me, this year in particular seemed to fly by with lots of travel, time spent with family, busy work and school schedules, life changes - and, like any year, good times and bad. I am always inspired by the new year and that s what we want to talk about today - purposeful planning for 2018 (and beyond) Dr. Michelle: Yes, it s official 2018 is right around the corner. How many of you are mulling over resolution ideas? I m curious are they the same ones you had last year? Ashlie Rose: I think I can safely say that BOTH Michelle and I aren t the resolution type, am I correct? Dr. Michelle: That would absolutely be true. I think EVERY day is a new opportunity to make subtle shifts that propel you towards your goals, BUT as the new year approaches, it s hard not to reflect on where we ve been and consider where we want to be this time NEXT year. Ashlie Rose: I think this comes from us being the type of gals that try to live intentionally throughout the year. BUT I think it is important to, at year s end, look back on the year and make a list of your observations and desires: 1 of 5
What goals did you have at the beginning of 2017 that did not come to fruition and why? Do you still want to pursue those goals, or should you scrap them, or adjust them a bit? What happened in 2017 that delighted you, surprised you? What would you repeat? More time with family, more travel? Dr. Michelle: Yeah, for sure - these questions are super important, because the majority of women I speak with are busy doing everything BUT the things they really want to be doing. A lot of that comes from the fact that it s easy to have our day, our week, our month and even our year get away from us, because we tend to focus on everything and everyone else s agenda but our own. And then, the end of the year comes around, and we re like well, there that went guess I ll have to try again this year. And then, you set the same goal, share it with the same people, and ultimately have the same experience in the coming year. Learning to prioritize your goals and break them down into bite-sized pieces helps you stay focused each day, and inevitably gives you a more tangible way to prioritize your day around your personal goals. This year, I started using Michael Hyatt s Full Focus Planner, and I ve been loving it - it s not just a great way to plan, but it gives you room to reflect and modify behaviors that ultimately help you reach your goals. It s been a really helpful resource for me, and I really love that it s a physical planner, so it cuts down a little screen time for me. Ashlie Rose: Yes, she is very excited about this planner, so much so that she had to show me on Skype. I loved it - very organized and color-coded. I used to do the physical planner but find that my phone is the thing that s always with me so this year my Google calendar has been working for me. So as we re reflecting on the year and planning for the next, I feel like people tend to put so much pressure on changing their life completely in ONE DAY, January 1st But if you re coming to the end of a whole year gone and are still trying to make changes, then maybe this is the time to realize that a lot of life is a process. I think more success is found in painting a fuller picture of how 2 of 5
you want to be, how you want your life to be, and even create an action plan, and as uninspired as it may seem, list it all out: Your goals A realistic timeline People to support you with that goal Scheduling in time for that goal, etc Dr. Michelle: Yeah, there s actually a mnemonic system that can be really helpful when creating a really solid goal - the traditional one I ve heard is called S.M.A.R.T. or SMART goals. BUT I recently learned about SMART-ER goals from Michael Hyatt, so I ll share that with you and why those two extra letters are super sweet: The S is for specific - no room for generalities here. Having a vague goal leaves far too much room for excuses or half-assed attempts. The M is for measurable - make sure the results are quantifiable in some way - a real number or dollar figure - something that you can use as a guidepost to know when your goal has been achieved. The A is for action-oriented - use an action verb to start out the sentence, so instead of saying be more this or do more that, use the actual word associated with the goal, which could be write, gain, lose, move... things like that. The R is for risky - get into your discomfort zone - that s right, pushing yourself a little beyond the boundary of cozy will put a fire under your butt. The T is for time-keyed - have a start date and a deadline - pretty straightforward. The E is for exciting - if the thought of reaching your goal doesn t get you pumped, then think of a different goal. The R is for relevant - think about what really makes sense and compliments the overall flow of your life right now. 3 of 5
Alright, make sense? Ashlie Rose: And it s a good idea to, wherever you re writing your vision of the new year (your journal, planner, a notebook, piece of paper) - keep it How insightful can it be to have this to reflect on and even encourage us when looking ahead to the next year. And as with anything, your career or relationships...you are much more likely to succeed when you have a solid foundation and great support, that includes being in support of yourself. Cheer yourself on Dr. Michelle: Absolutely, having a support is SO crucial to success. Being a part of a community working towards similar goals is a great way to have accountability, troubleshoot various obstacles, lift us up and out of those plateaus and just keep moving us in the right direction. If you don t have a local group you can share hugs and tears with, Facebook groups can be a super convenient way to connect with like-minded people - I actually have a private facebook group that you re more than welcome to join - I ll link to it in the show notes for you. Back to planning - If you re reflecting on this past year and realizing that you have unfinished, or even untouched, goals or you didn t give yourself a holiday break or staycation or you missed out on an important event or a conference you were really excited to attend then we need to address our priorities, right? Because this is how life passes us by I just came across an awesome resource that ll help you map out your year, so you make sure to include the things that really matter. It s called Makers Academy, and they have this really cool 12-month printable calendar that you can hang on your wall to see the year at a glance. I actually just downloaded mine the other day, and I m looking forward to hanging it up. The FIRST thing I m going to put on there is a 2-week vacation in July I don t know where yet, but it s going on there. Ashlie Rose: Yes, do it. The new year isn t just about the quote new you and your goals and the changes you re going to make - It s so important to schedule in time for fun 4 of 5
And maybe some of you out there are overwhelmed with how to start visualizing what you want 2018 to be. Well here are a few prompts that I found that were very helpful to me in inspiring ideas and getting that pen moving across the page. One habit I m going to build. One habit I m going to break. One person I m going to forgive. One person I m going to befriend or reconnect with. One thing I m going to create. One negative belief I m going to drop. One book I m going to read. One new place I m going to visit. One fitness goal I m going to achieve. One fear I m going to overcome. One skill I m going to learn. One way in which I m going to make the world a better place. Just some ideas that got the wheels turning for me. We hope these ideas have inspired you to be purposeful with your new year planning and make this one the best yet Be sure to visit femalesinfinefettle.com and click on episode 21 to grab your freebie - today we have a special discount code so you can put these tips into action and try the Full Focus Planner for 15% off. Be sure to check it out. Dr. Michelle: Hey, it s Dr. Michelle. I cannot wait to meet you back here next week In episode 22 we ll be talking about why and how we sabotage our healing process. Thanks for tuning in Have a great rest of your week. Bye for now. 5 of 5