Hi friends,

 

While we’re beginning this year and still enjoying the fresh start effect—proven to positively impact our goals—I’d like you to try making two new lists.

 

For goals to grow, they need our time. The time we say we don’t have enough of. The time that is already packed with work and family responsibilities. Just like we need water and air to live, goals need time to grow and flourish.

 

Are you giving time to your goals?

 

Yesterday, in the first session of the All Year Goals program with a group of amazing women, we worked hands-on on our calendars. We looked at January, February, and March. We added dates of appointments and events that we know are happening, trip dates if we are traveling, birthdays and anniversaries we are celebrating, and important meetings we are having.

 

Then we zoomed in for more detailed planning. We looked at the 3 weekends left in the month. We looked at the more leisurely mornings and evenings for those of us who have kids in winter break from school. We looked at what’s happening this week, and then we set dates and locations for our weekly reviews. We set dates and times to work on our primary goal of the month. We predicted the obstacles we might face and how we could handle them.

 

Looking at our calendar and predicting possible obstacles gave us a concrete sense of the time we would have to work on our monthly goals. And it is not that much!

 

By seeing where we waste it.

 

Back to the two lists.

 

You might have noticed that the Yes list is a collection of habits that support me in being at my best to achieve my goals.

 

What are you saying Yes to and No to this month to make time for your goals?

 

You can even say no to certain kinds of foods, people, or thoughts; it’s up to you!

 

Share two things on each of your lists, let’s inspire each other to make time for our goals.

 

Snapshot from my week: The Christmas Cactus, blooms once a year.

Here is your weekly dose of The Sunday Spark ⚡️ a newsletter listing 3 sparks that I thought were worth starting your week with:

 

1. 🎯 Goals, Non-Goals, and Anti-Goals: In this essay, Jay Clouse, one of the consistent creators I follow, introduces the concept of Non-Goals, which is the same as the No List I shared with you today. I particularly enjoyed the questions Jay shared to help combat shiny object syndrome, that tempting urge to abandon our current goals in favor of something new:

 

2. 📚 No Sweat is on my to-read list for this year. The author shares three research-backed messages to inspire moving your body—no sweating necessary:

 

You can explore a free chapter from the book here and try the quiz here.  I also recommend subscribing to her newsletter, where she recently shared insightful permission slips. I read, listened to, loved and gifted her second book, The Joy Choice. It definitely earned a space on my shelf.

 

3. 💬 Quote of the week, it could go both ways:

 

“We are where we are because of repeated unconscious or unhealthy choices that we've made day after day after day that add up to the reality we find ourselves in.”

― Debbie Ford, The Right Questions

 

 

For the fourth year, I am delighted to present to you the New Year’s calendar as a gift to use to track your one key habit every month, to plan your appointments and projects, or to jot down one moment to remember every day.

 

The calendar this year is special because it has 12 journaling prompts under 12 themes you hear frequently about around here and in my podcast. I was inspired by the journaling challenge I launched back in November and I hope you will enjoy it.  I will elaborate on each month's theme as the year goes. lucky for you the journaling course is on sale for only 25$ celebrating 2025.

 

Enjoy your gift from me, how you use it is up to you. 

 

Click the button below to download it. Print it soon.

 

 

 

 

 

See you next Sunday @First name / my dear friend