It’s January 1, 2019, and I’ve just checked into my hotel room at the Marriott Marquis in San Francisco after a 4 1/2 hour flight from Atlanta. I planned this getaway away from my familiar surroundings and distractions for what I call a spiritual/strategy retreat. This is my way of centering myself and being calm enough to gain clarity of heart regarding my vision and a strategy for success for this new year. It’s also a time of reflection, a year of review of what worked, what didn’t work, and what I need to do differently this year. You see, the last thing I want is to waste precious time on tasks, efforts, and connections that aren’t meaningful.
As I plan my course for the year, I feel a sense of excitement, joy and hope on the horizon. No, I didn’t meet all the metrics I set out to achieve last year, but I made progress. I learned some key lessons in 2018 that renewed my hope and strengthened my resolve to keep going.
As we begin this new year, I encourage you to forget about resolutions and take some time out of your usual routine to clarify your expectations for 2019. What is your vision for each area of your life: financial, professional, spiritual, etc.? health, recreation and relationships? What do you really hope to achieve? What do you think is possible for your life? What and who do you need to let go of? What hindered your progress in 2018?
Remember, when you have to negotiate a major life change, you need more than hope. You need an action plan that bridges the gap between where you are and where you are going. You’ll save yourself a lot of headache by strategically moving toward the results you want.
Write down your vision for 2019 and visit it regularly. Creating a vision board serves as a great visualization that keeps your dreams and possibilities in view, which can be reassuring when discouragement sets in. There are many events in life that can make us lose hope, without which we lose sight of the possibilities of our life. It is our hope that makes us see a ray of light in the darkness, peace in the midst of confusion, expectation in despair. Having a written vision with smart goals will help you stay hopeful in the face of difficulties.
