Align with... Wonderfully, Beautifully YOU

As this year quickly came to an end, I began to feel slightly anxious about what I was going to focus on during the upcoming year. There are so many facets within my life that I would like to improve upon and enhance, where do I start?

Traditionally a New Year’s resolution would be the starting point, but New Year’s resolutions were never something I really cared to commit to. It seems rather intimidating, announcing to the world my “promise” to make a permanent change in my life. This is not how I visualize a great start to a new year. What if those visions changed, what if they didn’t work out the way I intended, what if I just down right failed at this attempt of a permanent change? So each year as I ring in the New Year amongst family and friends I choose to start the next day just as the one before it, no resolutions.

This year I felt the need for a more focused start but I have so many ventures tucked in the back of my head I don’t know where to start!

Focus, Simplify and Grow ~

I found these three words on Lou Mongello’s facebook page New Year’s Day. When I read these words I breathed a sigh of relief, (thank you Lou). I tend to make complex strategies in my pursuit of “life”.  I get lost in an overload of details that I create for each pursuit, causing my focus to blur.  I need to learn when to use the wide angle lens and when and how to focus on the subject to simplify the picture of each endeavor. This will enable growth not only in each venture but also in my overall character.

Staying on Track- Resolution or Goal ~ how do I focus, simplify and grow?

Though I have never committed to a New Year’s resolution, I have committed to goals. This got me thinking about what the difference between a resolution and a goal is; I simply looked up the definitions.

Resolution:  A firm determination to do something, a course of action determined or decided on.

A resolution is a long term change you intend to keep, it is not something you complete, and it is permanent. Resolutions tend to be vague, such as eat healthier or exercise more.

Goal: The object toward which an endeavor is directed; an end. Looking to achieve a result, a target to reach, an end point after a chosen period of time.

A goal can be short term or long term and is something you have a conclusion to, not necessarily a permanent change. Goals are more specific such as, choosing to run a marathon and working toward the completion of it.

The key contrast between the two is they differ in terms of duration.

Goals seem less intimidating to me. Having a start point and end point will allow me to focus, simplify and meet my objectives.   A resolution seems so wide open; I would lose direction without set time frames to complete those objectives.

But maybe I can make a New Year’s Resolution ~using them together ~

How can I make that New Year’s resolution less intrusive? Maybe starting with a goal would help maintain a resolution, meeting each goal to work toward that life changing resolution.

Setting goals and achieving them is empowering, making a resolution that never comes to pass would take the wind out of my sails. So if I start out with realistic goals that I can meet within reasonable time periods, I can work my way up to that life changing resolution. Who knows along the way I may find new gifts and talents I never knew I possessed!

What are your thoughts on Goals vs. Resolutions? Tell us if you have set any for 2015!