Confession #21: I’ve never accomplished everything on my vision

As I nibbled on a delicious piece of praline candy, my eyes glanced over the health goal on my 2017 vision. It read, “Maintain a healthy diet including fruits and vegetables.” I made a mental note to eat an apple as soon as I was finished eating the candy.

Is it just me or is it hard to stay focused on a vision once springtime hits? I start off motivated in January, February and March. By April, I begin to compromise saying things like, “Do I really need to live on such a strict budget?” and “I’ve been eating healthy all year! I deserve another piece of cake.” My birthday is in May so that’s a month full of celebrations. I don’t even think about my vision. Then, there are summer vacations followed by the holiday season. Who has time to keep up with a vision? And before I know it, it’s time to write a new year’s vision…again.

I used to get discouraged because I have NEVER accomplished everything on my vision. Now that I understand my cycle, I prioritize. In the first quarter of the year, January to March, I complete the goals that will have the biggest impact on my life. All goals are not equal!

Here’s my process:

First, I write my vision by focusing on 8 key areas of my life. The areas are career, health, relationships, finances, self-care, spirituality, ministry and playtime.

For each of the 8 areas, I get specific about what big dream or change I hope to accomplish. The next step is the most important for me. I ask myself, “Why do I want to accomplish this?” If my “why” is weak, it won’t keep me motivated. I’m not going to lie, sometimes I have no idea why I want something. I just know I want it.

Finally, I assign my goals to a quarter of the year. Like I mentioned, if it could drastically improve my life, I work on it in the first quarter, January to March, when my motivation is usually highest.

In 2017, I met all of my career goals because I dedicated the first few months to reaching them. On the other hand, I missed the mark in my playtime. Who under-achieves in playtime? SMH! Seriously, I would have liked to play more, but it wasn’t going to have a major impact on my life. So, it was a low priority for me.

Overall, I’m pleased with my accomplishments in 2017 and I hope you can say the same. With the arrival of the new year, I hope this helps as you prepare your vision for 2018! Happy New Year!