In this episode I share how I create my vision for the upcoming year. Having a vision is an important element to thriving and recognizing your growth in every season of motherhood. It is an powerful exercise and tool to help guide you intentionally through the next year no matter what your circumstances are.
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Steps to Creating Your Vision for the Year
- Evaluate your Life in 10 Domains: Intellectual, Emotional, Physical, Mental, Marital, Parental, Social, Vocational, Avocational, Financial, Spiritual. Refer to the LifeScore Assessment for more details.
- Review the current year in relevant categories: Things I Learned, Milestones, Parenting, Traditions Started, Things I Made, Places we Went, Dates, Photography, Missionary Experiences/Service Oppurtunities, Major Challenges, Books Read, etc.
- Answer Seven Questions to Ask About Last Year. This blog post was written to leaders, but as moms we are leaders too!
- Brainstorm on a blank sheet of paper what the next year could hold. Dream big, let go of limitations or barriers that feel like they are holding you back. Anything goes on the ideas.
- Choose a word for the year. Brainstorm a few possible options. Look up their definitions and relevant scriptures. After reviewing the previous steps select one that is most in-line with your priorities and intentions for this season of your life.
- Now that your priorities are clear, set 7- 10 Goals for the year, focusing on 2-3 goals per quarter (these guidelines are compiled from a Michael Hyatt Webinar he gave about goal setting in 2016 based on current research and feeds into a course that is made available at the end of each year if you want to look further into it). Some years I pick goals in each of the 10 domains and other times I focus on developing goals that support the word that I picked.
- Goals should be measurable, specific, and with a deadline (unless it is a habit, in which case that can be tracked a different way)
- Create goals that are in the discomfort zone. A good goal will create feelings of fear, doubt, and uncertainty – know that this means you are on the right track
- List 3 WHYS for each goal you set. Compelling goals are: spiritually meaningful; intellectually stimulating; emotionally energizing; physically challenging
- Choose the first 2-3 goals you are going to focus on and select the next action/step each one requires. If it is a goal in your discomfort zone, then the next action needs to be in your comfort zone to get you started (for example, you want to run a marathon so a next step in your comfort zone would be googling a training schedule; or you want to change your parenting style so your next step is put a book on hold at the library to read)
- Write your vision for the year, including your word for the year and habits, goals, and major projects you want to accomplish in a highly visible and accessible place. For me this is in the front of my planner which is a dotted Leuchtturm1917 notebook.
- Write down how you are going to track your goals in a notebook/planner. For example, twelve boxes to check for a date each month, or a place to write the list of books you are going to read, or a chart to mark off when you exercise.
Check out my Vision for 2018 for an example.
Resources
Leuchtturm1917 Medium Size Hardcover A5 Notebook – Dotted Pages (affliate)
Connect with Jessica
Instagram: @ajacksonfamily
Website: ajacksonfamily.com
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