Cheers to Your Why in 2020!

We have leaped into a new decade and along with that comes various resolutions, dreams and wishes. On New Year’s day, I meditated on what I would like to accomplish in the upcoming year and, along with all the health and business related goals, came a feeling of somehow missing the mark. Yep, I could drink more apple ginger turmeric juice, stretch more, nix my Netlfix habit and offer more workshops, but somehow these ideas all seemed to lack traction. Has this ever happened to you? You have goals about what you think you should do, but they don't feel like your own? Well, maybe they aren't!

Think about past goals that you were unable to stick with. You might have thought you should get on a more structured routine because exercising, eating and sleeping well are "good for you." You may have had an intention to go to the gym after work or to prep veggies on weekends, but the motivation fizzled out pretty quickly. Of course there are various reasons for not being able to carry out the steps needed to reach the intended goals. Perhaps you bit off more than you could chew or there were unavoidable obstacles or lack of support. These are all reasons we trip up, however, you may want to consider the possibility that you might have not been ready to try on the new behavior—-or that the goals you picked were not actually your goals, and were really *shoulds*. The thing about goal setting is, it works best when you feel intrinsically motivated, meaning that the goal is based on something that really matters to you. To discover the driving force and motivation to engage you for the long haul, you need to allow yourself to dream of your best self in your best life. You may want to journal, spend time in nature, meditate or create a vision board to gain some clarity. Some questions to consider are:

What really matters most to you?

What do you value in life?

What are the non-negotiables?

What lights you up?

What sparks your curiosity and creativity?

What connects you to your essence?

Ultimately, what is your big why?

It is going to be different for everyone. By connecting to the vision and aligning it with the *why*, you have taken the first step in successful goal setting. You now have a fighting chance. After dreaming, consider what small steps you might take and what strengths you innately possess that will support you in achieving your goals. You may ponder past successes and how you were able to get there. Choose to hang out with friends and family who will be unconditionally supportive as you try out different strategies. You will be gifted the opportunity to try out different approaches because there will be hiccups along the way and that is absolutely normal. Once you succeed with any small change, you will begin to develop self-efficacy, the belief you can do it coupled with the motivation to do it again and again! It is the circular magic of belief and action that becomes a source of empowerment.

Hiring a coach to help you uncover your *why* is a fantastic idea and will increase your success. A coach will encourage self-discovery, be your scaffolding, your cheerleader, and will help you navigate challenges along the way. Your coach will celebrate you! Change is difficult, plain and simple, but with the right sort of motivation and support you will be able to forge ahead at your own pace with the goals that matter most to you. I plan to take some time to dream and discover my *why* over the next few weeks and let go of *shoulds*.

Cheers to your *why*, and to success in 2020!