( updated March 14, 2022 ) It's natural to want to see results for one's efforts. That's why many of us set goals with the start of each new year.   But, setting goals isn't the only way to have a meaningful or impactful year.     How do you start a new year?   To keep things simple, I choose one word or phrase that I apply to family, personal growth, and business growth for a year. Today, I'm sharing how I find my word and how I keep it top of mind.  

A new year. An opportunity to start fresh once again.     I don't know about you, but my dreams don't fit tidily into 365 days. That's why I gave up the yearly practice of goal setting last year. And why you should consider doing the same.   Do you set goals for yourself? Are they constrained to twelve months?  

New years often mean restarts, new goals, and new directions. 2015 for me, while a new year, will be a continuation of a 2014. Rather than restart, like I do most years, this year I choose to continue to build.     How did you do with your 2014 goals?  

The start of Spring is as good as any time to pull out and dust off the goals or resolutions set when 2014 dawned brightly. For me, 2014 is the year I WILL. And to achieve my goals, I need ...   My Goals for 2014 For 2014, I set three goals . Sure, in 2013, I declared my goals here publicly . But my goals for 2014 are different.   My goals for 2014 differed from those I set in 2013, in that there's one big goal and two that actually support that goal. Besides sharing my 2014 goals here, I also put them to paper, something I didn't do with my 2013 goals. And, I went further. I spoke them out loud and recorded them with the intention of sharing them.   I was going to share the video of my goals ( watch now on YouTube ) when I talked about joining the Bold, Brilliant, Beautiful project . But, I chickened out. I shared just a snippet of my goals, the portion where I say I AM ENOUGH. I AM BOLD, BEAUTIFUL, BRILLIANT. (I mixed up the order. In my snippet, I'd even accident...

If I'm not creating, I get stabby. I'll jump down your throat. I'll sulk. If as an adult I could get away with it, I'd stamp my feet and scream until I got my way. But, I no longer have time for any of that.   Rather than focus on what I couldn't do, I decided to look at what I could do. I could commit to 20 minutes three days a week to create: a 20-minute practice in seeing.     How do you fit a creativity practice into your routine?  

One of the biggest problem with New Year's Resolutions is that we set them and forget them for roughly 345 days. (Some of us -- not typically me -- make it through to the middle or end of January.)   In the past, I've been known to have completely forgotten my goals, a few days after New Year's has come and gone. If you struggle with your resolutions or objectives and goals as I like to call them, here's an action plan (a tried and true plan that I use with all of my clients).     If you ask anyone who knows me, they'll tell you I'm crazy organized. Give me a date and a goal and I'll come up with a plan for making it happen. Now when it comes to my own life outside of my clients, I'm not so organized. So, when I started thinking about this year's objectives and goals I was surprised to find I'd actually jotted down my 2013 goals (I often don't). More startling was the fact I'd achieved some of them! Immediately, I decided this year is ...

A year ending is a time for reflection; a time to look back at goals set 365 days prior. For me, 2013 was a year of highs and lows.     It started off with so much promise. By mid-year, I'd accomplished a lot. It looked like it was going to finish well. Then... unplanned health issues and the death of a couple of friends.   When a year ends on a sour note, it's hard to see positives. In total 2013 wasn't a bad year -- not the worst or even in the top five worst years of my life. In 2013 I set five goals and of the five, I accomplished three: Take time to be thankful for what I have. Continue to publish a blog that you enjoy reading. Work with focused creatives. Did you achieve your goals for 2013? Are you setting goals for 2014? What are they?   Later this week, I'll be sharing my objectives for 2014 and followed next week with my action plan for achieving my goals.   My Wish to You for 2014 It's easy to get greedy. To want more. More highs. More h...

Noise makers are squeaking. Horns blaring. Glasses chinking. 2013 is here.     For me, rainbows have always signified a turning point. When I've seen them light up the sky, it's typically been at a break in the weather, which reminds me that stormy times won't last forever.   Time's LightBox closed the year with Rainbows in the Frame: Emblems of Hope in a Dark Year , pairing their hopes for 2013 with rainbows from 2012. I too closed out my year -- as well as my tenure at the technology company where I'd worked for over four years -- with a series of rainbows.   Now don't get me wrong. For me, 2012 wasn't a bad year. In 2012, cubes and I welcomed our daughter Gates into the world. The new design for the blog went live . I left my 9to5 job of four plus years to do my own thing .   What are your goals for the new year?   My goals for 2013 are: Take time to be thankful for what I have. Continue to publish a blog that you enjoy reading. Prioritize more ...