Ahh… January. The major demands on my executive functioning due to the holidays are over. Whew.
I actually love January because, despite the weather, it offers me the promise of a new beginning, a fresh start.
I have a decades-long ritual of sitting down on January 1st with a cup of tea, a piece of paper and some colored pencils to think, dream and draw about my future. What would I like to make happen in the next twelve months?
It is quite powerful to take a bit of time to imagine the “possibilities” for one’s future. In Seeing My Time there is a quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupery that relates to the executive function of future thinking:
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
I want to lead a purposeful life, where I take action, not just daydreaming a life.
I use this imagining/planning session to look at all the possibilities for the different areas of my life: family, finances, personal well-being, community, learning and work.
Here’s How My Planning Session Looks
First, I jot down bullet points for each area (mentioned above) as they come to mind. Each area gets a maximum of three bullet points. Your brain must see goals as being achievable, so I keep the lists short and realistic. Getting this “big overview” is the first step to breaking each goal into steps and putting the steps on a calendar.
These days I use my Seeing My Time Adult planner and Mini-Course to both record the big goals and then put the steps into my month, week and daily plans so that I can actually make progress throughout the year.
A lot of my clients freeze up when I suggest making plans for the future. They are afraid of the emotion of “failing” when goals are not met. Unfulfilled goals are interpreted as proof that they can’t be successful in life.
If you feel this way too, stop, and take a deep breath. Reframe these personal goals as “possibilities.” They are not written in stone. It is perfectly fine to decide that a goal from early January just isn’t relevant or desirable by July. I often redo my goals. It is OK!
An Executive Function Lesson From Portland’s All Classical
While writing down all of your possibilities for the coming year is useful, I confess, I am making a bit of a change in my goal-setting ritual this year. Times are complicated. The future holds so many uncertainties. It takes a certain kind of courage and faith to imagine the future in detail. Sometimes even I can lack that courage.
After listening to Suzzane Nance on my beloved allclassical.org recently, I decided to switch my approach. She has a wonderful show each week called, “Sunday Brunch.” She plays diverse and inspiring music. I stopped still when she played a recording of the musician and actress, Audra McDonald.
That day, McDonald shared that there had been many times when she deeply questioned her life’s purpose. Then one day, she learned the lyrics to the song, “Make Someone Happy,” which gave her an ah-ha moment; she vowed that her new purpose for each day would be to make someone smile.
I love that goal, that purpose, so I have embraced it myself. I’ve been practicing it with friends, family and lots of strangers, like people walking their dogs. It has been wonderful! It is such a joy to pause and connect through even brief conversations that bring smiles to other people’s faces. And my face smiles in return! Happy brain!
So my plan, the big picture for 2025 is to make someone else feel happy each day. Oh, I’ll get lots of other stuff done. But finding those smiles is the primary goal.
What would your primary goal be for 2025?
May it be a year of health and smiles for you and yours,
