Wow that was fast! December has hit, and I have begun wrapping up 2019 as part of goal setting prep with my 2020 Powersheets. First up, evaluating 2019. That is a mouthful considering all of the change that has occurred this year.
When I began the year, my word was create and about half of the way through, I changed my word to grow. My intention was “to push myself to think outside of the box and to learn how to realize the things I want to create by beefing up whatever skill is necessary to make my vision a reality.” I wanted to dig into new ideas and push forward without letting fear or self-doubt get in my way. Then, grow reared its head and my focus changed to doubling down on the mental strength necessary to create significant change in my life.
Believe it or not, all of that fits nicely into my five year plan. The major goals for 2019 were to secure a dream job, save three months worth of expenses, develop positive self talk, to continue learning, build on positive relationships, serve my community, and to start a life transformation that would continue into 2020. Did that happen?
Well, I moved to Atlanta because I secured a job with an organization for which I could only dream of working. That move was fairly easy to do because I saved money and let go of a relationship that was no longer serving me. I now work in ATL, and am good at my job because I continued to seek knowledge and develop skills in my previous position that help me successfully navigate my new position.
I can definitely say that I would not have secured my job or been able to move to Atlanta without the friends, family, and professional relationships I nurtured in 2019. Plus, the volunteer work I have executed in 2019 has given me perspective and a heart of gratitude for the life I am able to live. Lastly, I have changed my physical location, my emotional ties, and my mental health that is leading to a transformation in 2020.
Was everything perfect? No. I have spent a significant part of 2019 battling with myself mentally over the state of my body. Letting go of the scale may have been one of the harder aspects of the year. Though liberating, not having a scale forces me to evaluate my health on feel and visual cues. Considering the fact that I do not see my body as it appears to others, that has been a mind trip.
Also, moving has wreaked havoc with my finances. Luckily, I did save money so financially I am not in crazy debt. However, my savings is significantly lower and I do have debt to tackle in 2020. That reality was also quite difficult for me because I am a fiercely independent person and part of that independence is living debt free.
When I set out on this five-year plan, I knew it would require change and sacrifice. I did not account for the mental transformation and personal growth that is necessary to take my life to a new place. I am thinking of 2020 as the beginning of my transformation, a time to build the future I seek. Currently, I am in the process of goal planning and setting objectives for the year, but I can say with certainty that I will use the lessons of 2019 to make 2020 a year to remember.
If you haven’t checked out Powersheets, I recommend them wholeheartedly. I was not sure, but I think that I will also continue One Little Word for 2020 to document my first year in Atlanta visually. Anyone who has read this blog for awhile knows that I am a planner, and December is the ultimate time for those in the planner community. I’m working on 2020, so I will share my intentions for a transformative year.
