Hey, hey…it’s my birthday! It is also exactly one month until the start of a New Year. That makes today the perfect day to talk about goals versus wishes.
We all do this on our birthday. We look at the flickering light of the birthday candle, tightly close our eyes and make a wish. When I was a little girl, it was undoubtedly for the newest Barbie Doll and as a teen it was probably a wish about a boy.
But as I got older it was always the same wish. I just wished to be happy. This became my lucky penny in a fountain wish, my birthday wish, my whenever wish. I know so many of you do the same.
It’s a beautiful act, but the problem with wishing is that it outsources our destiny to the universe. And we all know the universe has the tendency to not play fair.
So, rather than wishing for happiness, a new job, making the team, to raise confident daughters or whatever it is for you – let’s create it. I know you know this intellectually, but how often are you taking massive action to create the life of your dreams? How often do you take the steps to grant your own wish?
In a month you be greeted by the dawn of a New Year. What will you choose to create?
The first step in setting a goal is knowing what you want. Do you know? If not, start there!
Make a list of 25 things you want. The list can include anything in the world you desire, but be sure to also include a mix of things you already have.
I’m repeating that.
Make a list of 25 things you want include a mix of things you want that you already have.
I learned this approach from Master Life Coach, author and all-around boss Brooke Castillo, and I love it. By including a mix (50/50) of things you want and things you want that your already have then you are approaching the exercise from a place of abundance versus scarcity. You are reminding yourself of everything amazing you already have in your life and your ability to create more of it.
I love this approach even more in the context of wishes versus goals. Once you make your list of 25 things you want, look back at the ones you wrote that you already have.
How many of those came from wishes?
How much of your life was created from luck and wishing versus determination and awesome effort?
Everything you have in life is because you decided you wanted it, believed you were worthy of it, and took action to make it happen. Start deciding today on what you want to create in the year ahead or perhaps even sooner.
Over the course of this month I will continue to offer insight into how to set and achieve goals, why we want what we want, and how to make all your “wishes” come true.
