Two weeks from now, we will already be in a new year. As crazy as this seems, it makes me want to reflect on the year behind me and consider what I want the coming year to look like.
One of the audio books I just finished talks about thinking about your future and actually visualizing it because research shows that this is helpful. I’ve always had a problem with the idea that if you just think about a thing it will happen–I believe that we are all responsible for our choices and that is what helps shape our life into what it is (although obviously, things happen that are outside our choice). But this book noted that when we visualize what we want to happen in our lives, it helps us become intentional in our thoughts. The more intentional we are with our thoughts, the more clarity we have. The more clarity we have, the more we will seek out opportunities related to our vision. The more opportunities we seek out, the more opportunities comes. And thus it goes. It is not that we had a thought–“I want to be rich” or “I want to write a book”–and the thought magically became real life.
Choosing what you want for your future can feel like a bit more work in the moment, perhaps. It means not just going with the flow, right here, right now. But it is completely worth it.
It is a step-by-step process that begins with a single step. New Year’s Eve is when hundreds of thousands of people make new resolutions because they recognize they want something to change in their lives. But only a fraction of those people actually make those resolutions a reality. Perhaps most of us are still secretly hoping that enough dreaming will propel those resolutions forward, but they won’t. That happens with bite-sized action steps.
As this new year approaches, I encourage you to visualize what you want to feel and accomplish by the end of 2022. And then, take some time to work backwards as you consider what it will take to get to those feelings and accomplishments. What actions steps will you have to take to make sure you get to that place you want to be in a year?
One thing I try to remind myself of often is that the world is going to continue moving one way or another. I can either strive to do the things I want to do or give up. Time is marching on either way.
