Inspired Balance: Personal Action Plan
Editorial
Welcome to our third edition of Inspired Balance.
We have added a new section near the back of the edition “Tools + Resources” this section will features items that can help you implement the new strategies you learning reading the magazine.
Director/Curator: Lori Lynn Smith
I hope that you enjoy this months articles and put into action the tips and advice we have put together. Contact Us Sacred Earth Partners Training and Retreat Center Inc. 6326 37th Ave NW Edmonton AB Canada T6L 1H8
We encourage you to download each edition so that you can easily click all blue underlined links to valuable resources without losing your place while you are reading. If you have any questions or suggestions for future topics, please feel free to contact me at info@sacredearthpartners.com. Thanks for reading and we hope you enjoy!
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Resolutions vs Goals A lot of people make resolutions every year, but what is a resolution really. I wonder if it is more of a goal, rather then a resolution. What are goals, they are specific achievement like losing 25 lbs or marathon. What are resolutions, they are permanent changes to your life that you continue to do every day. The Happiness Project talks about the concept of “hitting goals and keeping resolutions.” Goals you can easily tell the end, you know when you are done. Resolutions are something you resolve to do every day for the rest of your life.
4 New Year’s Goals Worth Setting
• For example, rather than stating that you want to lose 25 pounds next year, try to find achievable goals that will help you lose weight. Set goals such as enrolling in a yoga class, trying three new types of aerobics, or going for a walk each day after dinner.
New Year’s Day is a great time to implement change and personal growth by setting goals that you want to achieve throughout the upcoming year. Some goals are well worth setting, because they can contribute greatly toward helping you live the life you desire and they’re attainable without any unrealistic expectations.
• Resolve to bring new experiences into your life. Set goals about new foods that you want to try, eating 3 more vegetable servings each day, or growing your own organic vegetables.
Try these types of New Year’s goals to ring in a happy new year:
• These goals are more fun to reach, but they’ll contribute to the same end result.
1. Health improvements. When your body thrives, you have more energy, enthusiasm, and vitality to do everything you want to do. Focus on setting goals for the specific actions that will provide the results you’d like to see.
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2. Financial improvements. Following the same advice as above, try to avoid setting unrealistic goals like “pay off all my debt next year” or “Put $10,000 away in savings.” Instead, choose goals for specific actions that will get you where you want to be financially. • For example, you may resolve to save all of your spare change and deposit it into your savings account every month. • Maybe you’d like to pick up 3 extra hours at work each week and dedicate those earned funds to your savings account or debt repayment. • Or make a list of specific money-saving actions like the above that you’d like to incorporate into your daily life and add a new action to your routine each week. By the end of the year, you’ll be an automatic money-saving machine! 3. Creative endeavors. Creative goals can absolutely lead to personal enrichment and development. What interests you? Set goals to try new things, experience new places, challenge your comfort zone, and learn about yourself all at the same time.
• To get you started, consider resolutions to try new crafts or creative projects, start writing in a journal, take up pottery, or a variety of other creative endeavors. Create a goal to try a new recipe at least once a month. Or fashion a resolution to hand-make every Christmas gift you give, starting at the beginning of the year! 4. Intellectual endeavors. Intellectual New Year’s goals can also benefit you in many different ways. Elect to take a course or seminar on a topic interests you, such as photography, scrapbooking, auto repair, or entrepreneurship. • Challenge yourself to read ten non-fiction books about subjects that interest you, or resolve to participate in an intellectual challenge like NaNoWriMo, November’s “National Novel Writing Month.” • New Year’s goals are a great way to find new ways to challenge yourself. Above all else, choose New Year’s goals that actually interest you and that are achievable for you. Resolve to do things that will be enjoyable, while also improving your life as a whole.
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Yearly Themes Every since I first heard about this strategy, I just had to do it. To me it brings a connection and wholeness to the year that really feels wonderful. This last year I noticed just how effective it the strategy is and just how unclear I was when I put my theme together. The idea behind this strategy, is that you select a “word” or “theme” as your guide or compass for making decisions during the year. This really needs to be connected to your core values and aligned with your life purpose and passions. It is pretty easy, but takes a little bit of time, prayer and meditation. It is every bit worth it when you have your theme.
Review or re-evaluate your core values to ensure you are coming from a place of purpose and alignment. Step 1. Brainstorm words, ideas, thoughts. Free write anything that comes to mind. Step 2. Ask yourself if any of these words speak to you, if you can feel them. Step 3. Review all the words you have written down, review the meanings of each of the words. Step 4. Meditate and pray, allow the words speak to you.
There is a worksheet in the Tools & Resources section at the back of the magazine.
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Email: Info@SacredEarthPartners.com Twitter: @LoriLynnSmith Facebook: www.facebook.com/lori.smith Google+: www.gplus.to/lorilynnsmith Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/lorilynnsmith Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/thepassiondiva
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