READY, SET, PICK YOUR NEW YEAR THEME…
At SoulSalt, Inc., we suggest that translating New Year’s resolutions into big-picture themes is an effective means to switch behaviors and get the good stuff you desire.
We go about the process of setting a theme long before New Year’s Day. Sometimes a theme builds on one’s efforts and aims from the year before. Other times a theme is one of a kind. We ask these simple questions to support the process of picking a theme:
- What do I need/want more of this year?
- What do I need/want less of this year?
- What do I aspire to?
- What would give me a sense of greater integrity?
Once a theme is picked, it can be fun as well as motivating to claim an icon—something that keeps your theme front of mind. The icon need not be elaborate, embellish it as you desire. Consider:
- Drawing your Icon
- Designing your Icon
- Purchasing an Icon
- Finding an Icon (buried in the treasure you have in an attic or basement)
- Creating or Crafting an Icon
The final step in setting a successful theme for the year is to track your progress. Keeping up on how you’re doing need not be tiresome or a burden. Make it fun and full of dopamine. Here are a few ways we and our clients track their progress:
- Reflection Journal
- Tracking Sheets
- Accountability Partner
- Monthly Inventory
- Weekly Celebrations
All in all, when we focus on a theme, we often make a desired outcome more attainable. We look for signs of progress while on a journey versus having our sights set on a destination or steel-clad goal.
This simple, yet enjoyable, means of scripting out a few critical moves often makes the next 52 weeks far more profitable, productive and pleasurable.