January, jumpstart my intentions, fuel my ambitions with energy and inject my spirit with love, plant seeds away from my fears and doubts and closer to my goals and dreams. Plant affirmations at the tip of my tongue and intensely on tough days, may where I go be led by intuition- Billy Chapata
It’s the beginning of a new phase, a time to re-access, reevaluate, plan and re-strategize. Through the journey of crashing into mistakes, taking the firm dive into the waves of our fears, climbing milestones, diving through the tide of uncertainty, lungs filled with joy, doggedly scaling through with just half a map, we are finally here at a meeting point of renewal.
It’s another chapter of opportunity opened, time sure files without caution, it’s another year and I cannot begin to express how grateful I am for my growth, my peace which cannot be measured, my confidence, for every single one of you who have taken the time to illuminate this space with their presence and consumption; walking through 2020 with these achievements as little as they may seem is everything. I am certain that you and I will do better this year. I am here to walk you through as we create a bridge of success.
Before I dive into this article in proper, I’ll love to state that “it’ s okay to not know and not have a complete map”. If someone told me that I’ll have my life all figured out in 2019 or 2020 that I’ll have a business and a team employed for my brand, I bet I’ll curse the person for making a jest of me.
I was broke, confused, testing the waters, finding my purpose, wrapping my head around survival and in search of answers to questions I couldn’t answer. And through that experience, I have come to realize and understand that it’s totally okay to be uncertain and not know.
The hunger to move irrespective of not knowing how to is enough to fuel growth. In no time, the answers to those deep questions will come rolling in.
If you are sailing on such a phase, I have a little something that will guide and assist you; I have written a detailed article on how to get your life together, find answers to certain questions and I promise that it will help gear you up.
It is the time and season where goals, intentions, resolutions, and changes are outlined and this can be entirely overwhelming. I am the type of person who loves setting goals and crushing them off my list. I guess everybody loves the joy, responsibility, and feeling that comes from this.
I do not hang tags of change to a particular time or season. I simply re-access areas of my life and the moment I get more clarity to evolve, I move!
So you may be at that phase of re-accessing and evaluating in the quest to have the best year ever, searching on how to change your life for the better, how to change your life completely, how to change your lifestyle, or a formula for success to make 2021 a successful year.
Well, I am here for you! I am here to assist you in going down the road where I figured every single thing by myself. What I’m about to share with you will be a game-changer for you in 2021, stick through and let’s get this ship rolling.
I know this sounds a lot but you don’t have to feel overwhelmed by these steps. At the end of this article, I have attached a 30 day challenge you can embark on at the beginning of 2021 that is guaranteed to massively improve the quality of your life.
Half a map is all you need to take the important leap off the comfortable cliff diving into the waters of opportunities. And I am here to show you how you can create that map or blueprint or formula of success that will guide you to the right route on your journey. So the first thing you have to do is to:
1. Reflect And Evaluate
Take stock of last year; a lot has happened through the scale of experience, from every challenge, obstacles, big and small wins, small aspirations, be it mental stability, financial empowerment and the quest to accept change, to continually evolve.
There are certain actions that I wouldn’t want to kick the same foot in 2021. Reflecting enables you to draw limelight through identifying and comparing. It enables you to know your bearings and prepares you for a better journey.
One important chart I use to access how far I have come through the hands of time is the current me vs future me. This reflection exercise helps you track my self-growth, gives more directive and clarity on the actions and activities that need to be adopted. It enables you to reflect on where you are now, how much you have grown and where you have or want to be. This can be a visual representation or in the form of a chart.
Start by filling up the chart by where you are right now, how are things going for you, where you want to be and what things you want to achieve. Then you outline a bridge to cover up the space between your current self and future ideal self.
For example, you have to create more time to effectively practice self-care or you want to find a healthier routine, develop a positive mindset to correcting negativity, wake up early to earn more from the day, set healthy boundaries, control your emotions and not being a slave to them.
Creating a bridge is knowing what steps and procedures you can adopt to achieve this. I will talk more about this in the latter part of this article.
Here is an illustration of the current me vs future me chart:
Past me vs Current me
I will be posting my “current me vs future me” template on Instagram if you are not following me, head over immediately and join the trail of self-growth and reflection.
2. Outline A Theme For The Year
This may sound rustic but having a theme creates a base of consciousness and intentionality in all that you do in the year. More like a guiding light, a magnet of remembrance and attraction. This year my major focus and theme will be tied to clarity and more productivity.
Clarity is a necessity to me because as life evolves, we keep finding ourselves, we carry graveyard of experience, so for 2021 and at this point in my life, my constant deliberation is “how can I continually reinvent myself, style my life, work with the challenges, limitations that I encounter, how can I achieve my desired goals both short and long term, how can I lit the exciting flame, how I can awaken the silent flicker of passion inside of me, how I can gain more clarity in my relationship”.
I rarely talk about this on the blog but if you follow me on my social media handles I have been giving some experience that my relationship has taught me and for 2021 I want to do better in correcting certain actions that I have taken in regards to my relationship. You can catch up on that thrill by following me on Instagram.
After outlining your theme for the year, sit with yourself and ask these questions:
- How can my vision, goals, aspirations embody this theme?
- What can I do to embody this theme?
- What do I want to attract and invite into my life with this theme?
I pray that the truth sits with you as you unravel this.
3. Outline Your Visions
Before you sit down to write your vision for 2021, be kind to yourself to remember that you have accomplished so much in 2020 be it intricate or physical goals.
It could be as little as waking up early, standing up for yourself, making necessary changes where you have to, making more money, kicking hard at life, enjoying every moment, building firm boundaries, finding your purpose, looking after your mental health and understanding yourself better; all these have guided you in becoming a better vision of yourself.
Take a pause and appreciate how far you’ve come. You’ve grown more beautiful and have more work than you realize. Then I want you to;
- Highlight these accomplishments, wins, and experiences you had in 2020.
- Outline 3 or more small and big wins.
- Outline at least 3 mistakes, challenges, sour experience and the lessons that were gained from these experiences.
- What did you learn?
- How did your life change?
- What are you immensely grateful for?
- What are the moments of pure joy that you will never trade?
Then unplug, sit down, pour a cup of coffee, invite solitude, light some candles, draw out your journal planner or a note pad, play some calming music or instrumentals in the background.
You don’t have to be dramatic or extra but I sometimes do this when I am stuck and need a bit of reassurance it helps to calm my mind and channel me on the right path of consciousness or letting that inner truth flow.
Start by writing out what will be the coolest things that can happen in the next 5 years of your life. Write every single thing that comes to mind, it could seem impossible at this very moment but bleed it all out!
With this single act alone you are already ahead of 99% of humanity who show up with no game plan, vision for the future, conscious energy to success and no clue with what they will like to create. I usually write updates for the type of life I want to build.
I have a folder on my system where I outlined my wishes and desires titled –Plucking stars. Evolving starts with the vision, every successful product started with a picture in somebody’s head.
I hope you have some vision outlined even if it’s on the quest to continue from where you are, improving as the days shove by. Let’s be accountable partners to your 2021 visions, feel free to tag me on Instagram you can get a glimpse of my 2021 intentions and every month I will be sending out a review on how I’m going with my set and intended visions and goals.
I will also be sending an evaluation email to myself every month to re-access and check up on myself and to know how I am doing with my goals. You can as well sign up to my newsletter list if you want to get the evaluation prompts as well. Being constantly reminded of where you want to be, guide you from getting lost in the chaos and struggle brewing around.
For me, my vision for 2021 is to;
- Not overextending myself.
- Showing more compassion to my family.
- Not shrinking to my limitations.
- Not giving the larger space to fear and insecurities.
- Eliminating extreme care that siphons my strength and compassion.
- Standing stronger in my life.
- Dedicated to more commitments.
- Intentionally unraveling my desires.
- Bold in my truth.
- Telling my truths without filtering.
- Releasing more toxicity.
- Taking charge and making necessary corrections.
- Consuming more knowledge (Update: I have started working on this path, my current read is the popular book 7 Habits of highly effective people by Stephen R and I’m equipping myself with so much benefiting wisdom, alongside, I am also reading Anything Can Be By Jessicadimas).
- Manifest wisdom.
- Activate my spiritual sense.
4. Set Your Goals
Before you set your goals, below are certain questions I want you to ponder about, if you have answered them before, I want you to answer them all over again.
Some of these questions have been collected from my Instagram feed you must be missing out on a lot if you ain’t following the gallery of positivity. I constantly share self-empowering, and uplifting prompts every month to help your journey of growth and development.
Questions to ponder to have the best year ever
What limiting beliefs do I have to release?
What way have (did) I appreciate myself?
What stressed me out the most, and what can I do to reduce my stress in that area?
How will I nurture myself in 2021?
What do I want to be a student of in 2021?
What do I need to make room for in 2021?
What habits do I want to create, break or refresh?
What do I need to learn more about?
What boundaries do I need to implement to have healthier relationships?
What’s one small thing I can do to change my life?
What’s an important boundary I’d like to set for 2021?
What am I holding onto currently that’s no longer serving me?
What has the last decade taught me?
Effectively answering these questions will create a base of clarity for you to know where you are headed to, what you need to get to where you want to be and this isn’t always easy.
After outlining your vision which is a picture of what you want to achieve coupled with your theme, you have to now set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based goals that will bring that vision to life.
So my friend I want you to set a goal for 2021 that excites you, set a goal that scares you, what’s one small way you can become a better person in 2021 ? Outline that as a goal. You are doing amazingly well so far. Now I want you to set a goal for each area of your life that will be outlined.
- Personal growth
- Relationship
- Career
- Health
- Creative
- Spiritual
- Money
- Adventure
Outline why you want to achieve these goals; purpose is the fuel to discipline so what is your why in wanting a financially secured life, getting good grades, or a job that makes you happy and pays well. This will constantly drive you in getting those goals activated.
If you are in search of a good and productive Planner to enable you to track your habits and outline these habits with an effective plan Afam Uche Goal Chaser is highly recommended for you.
The weekly planner will enable you to outline your main goals, break them down into actionable steps, allow you to track your progress, and highlight the important changes you need to make in order to move faster towards your goals.
5. Have A Strategy –Break Your Goals Down Into Habits
To make my goals happen what must I do?
The best way to have the best year is to slow down, be intentional and committed.
You cannot change your life entirely in one piece but you can tweak and make major changes that can turn your life on a positive track. Instead of trying to change your entire life by resolutions and intentions, the simpler strategy is to adopt a 12/month plan where you’re making constant improvements.
It can simply be having 5 habits you want to perfect before the end of 2021, you portion these goals into quarterly parts of the year so you have enough time to master it.
This is more realistic; if you had read the blog post on New Year’s intentions, you’ll understand the proper and important need to set realistic goals that can be achieved. You think about the goals you want to reach and then you have to break them down; forget the goal and break it down into a daily habit.
Knowing your purpose, your passion, vision, mission, strengths, and motivation allows you to outline a more defined strategy that will work successfully for you.
For example, you are a nightcrawler and you happen to perform better during the dead hours of the day, it is expected that all your actions that require so much of your attention should be scheduled during the night time where you can perfectly exhaust yourself.
6. Be Committed And Follow Up
Half of the game of achieving your goals is purely what you do after getting punched in the face; what are you going to do to get back up into the fight.
For You:
Before you go I want you to remember that it’s okay to get it wrong, it’s okay to realize you’re always changing, it’s okay to not know what you thought you did, it’s okay to shift your perspective or belief, it’s okay to honor what you can’t control, it’s okay to wish you understood what you don’t, It’s okay to release the grip of comparison, it’s okay to like and accept yourself.
It’s okay to take a step back when needed, it’s okay to take a step forward when needed, it’s okay to let yourself be fully human do not feel pressured to climb up to that perfect, organized and successful path life is a journey and survival is enjoying every single phase so my dear take your time as you implement each and every one of these tips.
Save for later!
Very effective article and relatable.
Thanks for the positivity!!