Remember how, in the Star Trek movies, the Captain would have the Ensign set a course for some obscure region of the galaxy? Being a solopreneur, an all-by-myself health coach, there’s no Ensign at the front console to command and have my course set for the coming year – I need to do that for myself.
And I suspect, so do you.
There’s no one you can take to your “ready-room” and hold a discussion (over Earl Grey tea, as Captain Picard would) about the coming year – what matters, what goals should be set, what direction you might hope to take. You’re pretty much in it (whatever “it” is for you) alone.
I’ve been brainstorming goals for the coming year – and, since it is mainly ME on staff here at Co-Create 4 Life, the discussions are kinda boring. We don’t have folks jumping up out of their seats, waving their hands in the air, hoping to be called on or included in the annual goal-setting meeting. It’s just me, myself & I and this year, we’re not terribly enthusiastic.
Because I am a small-business-person and I generally work with the rich encouragement of my Advisory Board (three other generous entrepreneurs who I love & trust) but, on a day-to-day basis, all by myself, it is hard to stimulate much excitement around establishing goals or setting direction for 2023. However, here’s my modest attempt.
Perhaps these goals will help you as you consider your year ahead, as a businessperson, a worker, a caregiver or just a human trying to make some incremental improvements in your life, health or well-being.
At Co-Create 4 Life, LLC, the theme for 2023 is Abundance!
And, with that in mind, the goals here fall into a holistic framework I borrowed from another entrepreneur some years ago, with six arenas for a rich, full life:
- Brain – with growth, stimulation & learning as my focus, my goal is to read 12 books this coming year, at least 2 of them will be biographical (likely candidates are Becoming by Michelle Obama & I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou) and probably 8 of them will be non-fiction, leaving me some wiggle-room for at least two pure novels, just for fun.
- Body – every year I struggle to set goals about exercise & engaging in meaningful movement, I think because the cold of January just doesn’t inspire me – instead, it makes me want to hibernate. But this year, my goal is simple – to move for at least 30 minutes every day (I may need to build up to that as the year begins) and yes, I’ll include my yoga class in that intention!
- Being – this is all about who I want to be or become in the months ahead, and for 2023, I want to lay claim to a kinder, gentler me. I want to take Kristen Neff’s book (Self Compassion) to heart & practice self-compassion every day, so it becomes characteristic of me by year’s end.
- Time – here, the goal is not so much about investing, but choosing not to waste my time! I want to increase my time spent reading & decrease my time spent in front of television (deadly & uninspiring pastime that it is!) and my metric will be simple – two evenings each week, spent entirely TV-free!
- Money – both for me personally and for the business, money is a touchy subject (maybe for you too?) but I’ve made two financial investments heading into 2023 that I’d like to find (by year’s end) produce a significant return:
- Getting the online course, Overwhelmed to Overjoyed – Caregiver Transformation through Self-Care – up and operational, with at least 10 paid registrations by year’s end.
- Building relationships with other budding businesses through my (shiny new) membership with Well Connected Twin Cities, a local collaborative community aiming to connect like-minded, wellness practitioners across the area. Here, I hope I’ll find creative ways to build this weekly mailing and double it’s size (gaining 100 subscribers) over the coming year.
- Relationships – I’ve been actively affirming that I both need and want relationships across many decades. I’ve seen what can happen as we age and discover that it isn’t enough to simply collect friends who are within 5 years of our own age – it’s deadly! So, my goal for 2023 is to increase my friends in their 20s (as many who fit that category have recently aged-out!!). I think 4 new twenty-something friends would be simply lovely!
Self-care is every conscious action you take that feeds your soul, nourishes your body, nurtures your spirit, or replenishes your relationship with yourself!
So, there you have my personal/business goals for the coming year.
What are your goals for 2023? Do you need some help setting them? Do you want some encouragement adhering to them (accountability?)? Do you need some tools for breaking down your current wish list into a set of trackable actions that will keep you on course? Please know, I’d love to help you in any way I can, as a sounding board or as your coach! Wishing you a simply fabulous year ahead and hoping that you’ll be encouraged to stretch beyond what you think is safe and attainable toward goals that are stretch-worthy and a little bit playful in your life!
