A R I A D N E / / K A P S A L I
Goals, Intentions and Visions
This is it you guys. Just over a week left of this year, can you believe it? How massive has this year been, am I right? Personally, but also globally – 2015 has shaken us.
People around me have started preparing the ground for 2016 for a while now. I have to admit, for some reason, I have not felt ready to go through this process this time. I usually love this time of year: starting to slow down, take stock and then shift gears towards the fresh energy that comes with the beginning of a new chapter. Yet, this year, something has been feeling off. Perhaps it’s the energy of the world; so much uncertainty, so much frustration and fear around us. I know I have felt this run through me at times. Perhaps it’s also the instability that has come with my decision to leave my full time job and venture out on my own. Best decision of my life, yet it comes with major practical and mindset challenges.
I feel a resistance because I feel I am not ready for a New Year and what comes with that. My ego is telling me I should be somewhere else by now: ‘You should have achieved more’, ‘You should be doing much better than that’, ‘You’re already behind’. My heart is telling me to pull back, way way back from setting rigid goals and ego-satisfying objectives. My heart is saying ‘Let go and things will work out’.
Do you relate? The thing is, I love setting goals and I live my life with intention-setting as a guiding principle. I feel inspired and completely renewed after meditating on my intentions and setting a game plan according to the goal posts of my intentions. This approach has never failed to bring in what I truly need in life. I also set weekly (and sometimes daily) objectives or goals which tend to be much more practical and specific to help me move forward. But this is always guided by whatever my intention has been: the intention is the foundation of my goal setting – never the other way around. I know the balance has tipped when my to-do list is filled with practical must-get-ticked items and the feeling that accompanies my list is heaviness and overwhelm. That’s when I need to strip back to basics: What do I need right now? What does my soul need to feel whole and nourished?
My favourite ritual is to set aside half a day (usually a morning) between Christmas and New Year and create a mini retreat for myself. I’ve been doing this one way or another for a number of years. I make it sacred: block it out in my diary, turn my phone off, get my candles, burn/diffuse my favourite essential oils, play some relaxing music. I do whatever I am guided to do to feel safe and excited about the process. And then I go in: meditate, journal, answer deeper questions. I learn to release the past year and prepare for the new. I set my intentions. And then, only once my intention has been set, do I go practical: I look at my year ahead – add some exciting events (like holidays, weddings etc), put in some personal development activities, make some lists of things I want to do/experience. I look at my relationship and business in the same way. This year we have even planned to do one together with my man (with wine, of course) to create a vision for the next 12 months.
Having a vision makes it easier to know what to say ‘no’ to and what to say ‘hell yeah’ to. Does this thing you’re contemplating bring your vision closer in some shape or form? Or does it take you further away? Does it feel like a match to the feelings you most want to be feeling? This doesn’t necessarily mean that anything that’s not a match goes out the window. Although wonderful in theory, it’s not always possible in reality. But having a vision and an intention for your year (your month, your week and your day) basically means you have identified what’s most important for you and how your best self would live her life. From there, decisions flow more easily because your ‘why’, your inner motivation, has been clarified.
Goals Vs Intentions: An intention is not really about losing weight, getting a promotion or buying a new laptop. The question is what would having these things, what would achieving them, feel for you? What do they represent? Is it health? Power? Freedom? Independence? Our goals, even down to doing the dishes (if you’re like me and need to put this on the to-do list), stem from an underlying desire to feel a certain way (Danielle LaPorte talks about his on the Desire Map with so much wisdom and skill). Once you’ve identified what your motivation, it no longer seems scary to look at what you’d like to achieve – it becomes fun and exciting. Failing to meet a goal is not fun – there is success or failure at losing 5 kg by February. But think of how many ways you can live your intention if you word it as ‘feeling healthy and strong in my body every day’? You can improve your diet and cut out the sugary crap, but you are not limited only to this. You could take up a dance class. You could run to work. You could see a naturopath or a kinesiologist to support your body. You can supplement your diet with juices and smoothies. You can meditate. And the good thing is, you don’t have to wait till February to see a result.
Let’s give that a go, shall we?
∇ Take out your diary and block a morning or afternoon off to yourself for a mini retreat. Tell someone to keep yourself accountable.
∇ Make a list of what you need (candles, essential oils, your journal) – Read this post for inspiration + guidance.
∇ On the days leading up to your mini retreat retreat start a vision board on Pinterest with ideas and visuals.
∇ Pick your music.
∇ Don’t be afraid of this process. Have fun, explore and see what comes up.
Do you need more support?
: Introducing :
THE EMPOWER SERIES
{A New Year Special Coaching Program}
I am delighted to announce the release of the Empower Series: a condensed, super-focused one-on-one coaching program designed to start your year with a bang. Together we build and clarify your vision, identify your biggest desires for the year and set a handful of your most laser-focused intentions to guide you forward.
There are only a few spaces available to start in January.
(Save over £100 compared to my standard 3-month coaching packages!)
All details + bookings are here.
I will now love you and leave you. I am giving myself a couple of weeks of to rest, restore and prepare for the big, exciting year that 2016 is gearing up to be.
Thank you for all the support over the past 12 months – you have been incredible. I am constantly amazed by the level of connection and understanding I feel from you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Have a wonderful and restful Christmas and see you soon in 2016!
With love + gratitude xx
