Mid January. Two weeks into the New Year. Somewhere between establishing new habits and abandoning them completely.

Yes?

Yes.

Here’s what keeps coming up for me:

Start with the end in mind.

Everywhere I look. Everywhere I turn. Everything I read. Every time I create a marketing piece for the studio, program a workshop or training, or set quarterly goals. Some variation of setting an intention and creating action around that energy. I hear my teachers sharing it. I see it on other blogs, and posts, and in curriculum, and in the books on my nightstand begging me to finish them.

Start.With the END.In Mind.

And, I’ve been trying this out on a daily basis, instead of just big picture, zoom out a year from now, what am I inviting into my life kind of work. I’ve been applying to my daily interactions, habits, actions, and thoughts. And, I’ve been writing it down using my Best Self planner, which was a suggestion from my teacher.

This planner works differently than most. It’s not about listing shit to do, or prioritizing the shit, or labeling and categorizing the shit. Or tasking the shit out of the shit.

It’s not about the shit itself, it’s about identifying WHY you want to do the shit in the first place, and then choosing your actions based on that.

Pretty different approach, no?

This means in the morning when I wake up and have a moment to myself to drink my tea or coffee and map out my day, I start with my goal for that day. Not a task, a goal. A way I want to show up.

I start there, with that goal and intention, based on my why.

For example, my goal may be to focus on one thing at a time during my working hours, and the why is so that I produce my best work, so that I feel successful and motivated to do more work after that, so that I can be present and not distracted when the kids get home from school.  

My why is about how I want to be right now so I can set myself up to be how I want to be later too.

The journal includes a space to write three tasks that will help me reach that goal, a space to write down three things for which I am grateful for in the morning, and nearly a full page to schedule out my day into manageable time chunks based on my goal and selected tasks.

This all makes my Type A, ENFP, Virgo self very, very happy.

The journal also includes a space for reflection- the lessons learned, the wins, and things for which I am grateful at the end of my day. It’s full circle accountability, and it’s working.

Not only is my productivity increasing, I am also seeing more clearly when, where and how I am failing to meet my own goals. I can see why on days I don’t block off time to rest why I crash hard at 4pm. I can see how game night with the kids turns into sitting next to them on the couch while they read and I work and no one talks to each other.  It helps me bring back to mind to my intention, my goal, my why, and shift accordingly.

And, I’m starting to think about it in other dimensions of my life.

In conversation — what’s my goal with that person? How can I listen and engage in a way that gets us there? In distraction and small tasking — why does this matter right now, and what’s it keeping me from doing? In parenting — what’s happening in this moment, what outcome am I looking for, and what steps, however difficult, can I take right now to move into that? In marriage, in finances, in general attitudes, habits and beliefs. What outcome am I looking for, and why?

It’s a really different way of seeing myself in the world. Choosing how I want to show up, inviting in energy that gets me there, and not based on what I want, but on WHY I want it.

It feels good, and different. Purposeful, and new. I like it.

It feels like me in 2017.  

Wanna try it? Start with why. 

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