Acknowledge your feelings.

It is day 7 of the new year, and also happens to be Friday Eve. (Otherwise known as Thursday)*… Here we are folks, a week into the new year, how are you feeling? 

As I made the final edits to this post after yesterday’s events ~ I decided to sit down and actually write down how I was feeling.  It was a mish mosh of feelings that can be summed up with ‘deflated, and concerned.’  These feelings come with good reason and I personally believe our reaction to the world should not be dismissed.  However, we need not dwell in the yuck.  Therefore,  I pulled myself out of the funk and worry by focusing my energy differently and making deliberate decisions to improve my mental status.  

Leading up to yesterday (the first 6 days into 2021) I’ve had moments of really missing seeing my work team in person. I love my day job immensely and appreciate the people I work alongside.  It has been quite some time since I’ve gotten to enjoy their presence in person. (P.s. remember when the stay-at-home orders first started and we did video calls for fun?!… those days might be over, now they are typically out of pure necessity).

This brief digression leads us to our next topic: PURPOSE. The deeper reasons we have selected the goals, pictures for our vision boards and songs for a motivating playlist, is usually with a larger purpose in mind.

Identifying the ‘why’ 

One of the biggest ‘whys’ behind the creation of this blog is to connect with others. During this unique and unexpected moment in time (to those reading this in 2031… at the time this was written we were going through a pandemic requiring most of us to stay-at-home), I frequently find myself relying on technology as a means of connection.

Not only having to rely heavily on technology as a means of social connection, it is also allowing me to work remotely. Thankful for the advancements which exist today.  Especially live streaming platforms (Twitch.TV) and educational sources like YouTube,  the more I wanted to not just consume, but to contribute.  

The desire to create already existed within me.  Paired with the purpose to contribute, this blog was made a reality. With this broader purpose, came many goals including: name creation, audience reach, words per blog, and eventually revenue will be added to the list. Each one of these goals has the foundation of purpose, whereas each goal alone could feel a bit empty.

Why should this matter to you?

The driving factor behind what we want and how we get it typically comes down to a purpose.  Our day to day habits and decisions are much easier when we have purpose-driven goals in mind.

1. The definition of our goal becomes clearer with the purpose in mind, we can be more specific and break the goals into manageable pieces while still maintaining the vision.
2. When our goals are aligned with a purpose, we can gain more traction through motivation with the ‘end in mind.’ Perseverance may sometimes be needed throughout this journey and knowing each step is helping us to achieve something bigger helps greatly!
3. Goals with purpose typically have higher rates of success because you can see the end and adjust the goal to better meet your ‘why’ when needed. There are usually many ways to achieve the purpose vs the specific task or goal associated, this flexibility allows us to tailor our journey as needed.
4. The ability to measure the outcome is more realistic with a purpose in mind!
5. Even the smallest decision can be made more quickly with a clear end goal, purpose and foundation!

Aligning your ‘whys’ with your values.

One tip before we dive into the exercise today: the ‘why’ behind what we do is important and should align with your personal values. In my own experience when the purpose behind my goal was off kilter, the outcome usually was as well. Each of us has our own set of personal values that come from within us. 

Staying true to those personal values is probably the most important part to life in general. If your purpose or your goals are not aligned with your personal values and your ‘true self’, you may find yourself on a path that is not fulfilling to you personally.

Each person in this world has unique talents and gifts, dreams and desires. There is no need to hide or stifle your own to meet the ‘normalcy’ of the the environment around you! You can achieve ANYTHING, and I believe that if you can think it up and have the desire for it – you can become it, make it happen, and live it.

Purpose Setting Exercise

This may seem backwards to some, but I find that doing my vision board allows my mind to be inspired without too much thought and then setting goals allows me to set some specifics up.  Finally circling back to purpose brings it all together and allows the heart-mind connection. In the moments where you want to procrastinate, give up or turn sour on life – take a breathe and remember your ‘why’.

Have your vision board in front of you, and your written goals easily accessible. Go through each goal and write out the ‘purpose’ that drove you to select it. Adjust the goals as needed and remember to stay true to yourself (do not base your purpose off someone else’s expectations.)

Example

I choose to formally organize my thoughts on this using two columns: (1) Goals column and (2) the purpose in the other:

*I wish I had come up with the saying ‘Thursday Eve’ but I must credit LeighAnnSays.