2 Ways to Gather Positive Energy to Fulfill Your Goals in 2023

I am a New Years junkie. I get all excited with the opportunity for a fresh beginning. Most of us have goals we want to achieve; changes we want to make.  It’s our human nature to change and grow even if we’re not consciously aware of it. Working toward goals and making positive changes gives zest to our life. Goals like losing weight, exercising more, taking up a new hobby, doing a major project, connecting more with friends and family. The problem that many of us know too well with New Year’s resolutions, is that by the second or third week of January we’ve already given up on them. Why is that?

When I thought of writing this blog, my intention was to boost your positive energy around goal setting and goal fulfillment. I write for you what I need as well. Some goals are easier for us to make happen. Others we need extra confidence to tackle.

I have two simple practices to share that can help you jump start your 2023 with positive energy to support you in realizing your goals.

Practice #1 – Reflection on Your 2022 Accomplishments

Many of us accomplish much more than we realize. We make subtle positive changes we don’t even recognize. We’re so busy living, planning, and doing that we don’t usually pause and take stock of how successful our efforts have actually been. Pausing to reflect on our small and large accomplishments in 2022 can fuel our faith in ourselves that we can accomplish whatever it is we desire in this new year of positive possibilities. Here’s how I do it.

I open my journal to a fresh page and title it My Accomplishments in 2022. Any sheet of paper will do, or the computer, voice memo or notes on your phone, your choices for recording are unlimited.

I’m generous with myself about what I call an accomplishment. Developing a new positive habit (no matter how slight), ways I’ve helped others, fun experiences I’ve had, maintaining good habits, promises I’ve kept – basically any goal or change I’ve wanted to make.

Here’s some of mine that give me good energy:

·       I affirm and appreciate my husband, Gus daily to water our closeness with love

·       I don’t chastise myself for making mistakes anymore! (This one was huge. For all my positivity, I have an unrelenting inner critic.)

·       I consistently walk weekly with my friend Naomi and speak weekly to Lynnie in CA

·       I joined A Course in Miracles group of like-minded spiritual seekers and attend weekly meetings

·       I keep developing my coaching skills by reading books, took a course with Marcia Reynolds, and joined International Coaching Federation

·       I feel shy and awkward sharing in these groups but I do it anyway and have shared a lot more

·       I texted daily with my cousins and sister as support to our cousin Debbie who was battling cancer

·       I took a flamenco dance class for two semesters and was in a recital even though I felt inept

Looking over my list fuels faith in myself in regard to accomplishing personal goals. I can see I am making the people in my life a priority. That means a lot to me, because one of my goals for this new year is to reach out to people I think about but haven’t connected with in a long while.  

My other major goal for 2023 is developing my coaching/speaking practice to support others in being their strongest selves and creating their most love-filled lives. I have a lot of self-doubt around networking and marketing. Yet, seeing that I put myself out to join and participate in groups that matter to me, even though I was uncomfortable, boost my confidence that I can also get more comfortable marketing and networking. This is the gift of reflecting on the changes we’ve made that may be below our conscious awareness.

Practice #2 – Set Intentions

Once I’ve reflected on my growth in 2022, I write my major goal or intention on a notecard and post it where I will see it daily so that I saturate my consciousness with it. The goal statement is basically an affirmation that I write in the positive tense as though it’s already my reality. I include an uplifting feeling word to energize my faith in realizing my goal.

This is my intention/affirmation for 2023:

I feel so deeply gratified by my relationships and use my creative energies as a coach, speaker and writer to assist many open, motivated beings to live deeply fulfilling lives.

It is pinned to the drapes framing the window by my computer, taped to my bathroom mirror, and next to my bed.

There is amazing power to immersing your mind in repeating your goal/affirmation. Research shows that the subconscious believes whatever we feed it. As we repeatedly feed our subconscious our goal each time we gaze at our cards, we begin to feel as if it is already part of our life. We then are more inclined to take action to make it our reality. And, I have absolutely seen time and time again that the Universe supports us in lucky synchronicities to manifest our goal/affirmations.

Your Takeaways

1.     Do a reflection page on your accomplishments and personal changes in 2022. Write down every possible thing you can think of that you feel proud of. You will be amazed at all that you feel good energy about.  

2.     Review your list and reflect on what it confirms for you about your past success with your efforts. You may want to write a notecard as a reminder of the powers you bring to fulfilling this year’s goals.

3.     Create an intention/affirmation for your major goal in 2023. Include a feeling word that uplifts you and state it as if it’s already true beginning with the word I to own it.

4.     Write your intention/affirmation on an index card and post it in places you will read it daily. You are immersing your consciousness in believing whatever you want is possible.

5.     Act on your goal with ease and pleasure.

I would love to hear some of your accomplishments in 2022 that give you confidence and pride! We are in this together. I’d also love to hear what your goal intention is for 2023. I may be able to support you! Best, best of luck! You got this!!!

Want help kickstarting your goals for 2023? I’m offering a special coaching package for 6 sessions discounted for my readers! Email me at gail@uppcoach.com or text me at 609-306-4557.

Unleash Your Positive Possibilities in 2022: Where it Starts

I am sitting in Barnes and Noble at a small, round table by the Starbucks. With pen in hand, and a decaf latte and maple scone to satisfy me, I write a letter to myself in my journal. It’s a reflection of how I’ve done in this past year of my life. I just let it flow, whatever comes to mind goes down on the page. I ask myself questions like:

·       What am I proud of accomplishing or for just being me?

·       What do I want to celebrate about me?

·       What good things have happened?

·       What has challenged me?

·       What ways have I grown or changed that please me? (Even a little, beginnings count for lots)

·       What has delighted me and brought me or others joy?

·       What do I want to work on in my next year?

You get the picture. We are the manager of our lives. Just like companies take stock of their progress in a year to set meaningful goals for the next, we too can take stock to consciously direct our lives. And it begins with reflection.

You don’t have to write it on paper if that doesn’t feel comfortable to you. Reflect on some of these questions as you’re driving to work, showering, or exercising. I don’t actually reflect on each individual question, but a combo of the ones that speak to me. This year I celebrated my growth in its small, subtle ways and the positive actions I took to care for myself on mental, emotional, spiritual and physical levels.

Just to give you an idea of some of the areas I discovered in this process: After training as a coach, I’m a much better listener, not interjecting stories about me, and not telling others how to solve their problems; Less judgment of others, less judgment of myself; I feel shame when I’m a novice in a group of more skilled others (that goes!), I’ve become a supportive mother-in-law and mother by trusting the kids know what they want and not interjecting my unasked for opinions. Yay me!!!

This process is deeply gratifying. We all have our negative self-talk voice that can undermine all the good we do and the ways we are growing. By reflecting, we get to see all the good we’ve done and ways we’ve grown that we may not have consciously noticed. Which leads to…

Envisioning: A First Step in Making Dreams a Reality

“Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

— Napoleon Hill

The beauty of reflecting on where we’ve been in the past year is it helps us choose where we want to go in the next. Whenever its someone’s birthday I say, “Wishing you your best year yet!” Isn’t that what we want for 2022?

So many of us set goals for the new year that we know we won’t follow through on. “I’m going to lose 10 pounds. I’m going to exercise every day. I’m going to be more positive.”

I’m a great fan of goals, I’m one of those goal-oriented people. And I know accomplishing goals involves focus, breaking the goal down into steps and a structure, and then developing routines and tracking our efforts to build the new behavior into our life. Whew! That takes a lot of energy and focus! Not all of us have the time or free mental space to do that (like now when we have Omicron to contend with.)

But here’s something heartening I’ve noticed—just by voicing our dream or goal to ourselves on paper or even while driving in the car, or to a trusted other person, the process of making our dreams a reality begins.

Around New Year’s I reflect on how I want to grow or move forward in my life at this new starting point. It’s really helpful that I took the time to reflect on my struggles and accomplishments in this present year. It’s like reading up on your next vacation spot. You have lots of info about the area of YOU to decide what you want to do and enjoy in your new year’s travels of living your best life.

As I said earlier, I’m a journal girl. So I make set down my dreams in the pages of my journal. And when I look back on my goals for 2021 it amazes me how many of them became my reality, even when I didn’t work consciously at the goal process!

Here’s why. “The thoughts we think literally become the “things” and events of our life,” Michael Dooley says in his inspiring book, Infinite Possibilities. He goes on to say, “It’s your imagination, beliefs, and expectations that draw you into the action, circumstances, and coincidences that make dream manifestation inevitable.”

So I say to you, give voice in writing or speaking to your dreams and goals for 2022, as an important first step in bringing forward your dearest wants and hopes in the new year!

Your Takeaways

1.     Take time to reflect on your highlights and lowlights of 2021. Free flow with the purpose of discovering your growth, what gave you satisfaction and joy, and what you want to work on for 2022.

2.     Several days later (before the end of week one in January) identify goals for various aspects of your life. Writing is a powerful tool for imprinting your dreams on your conscious and higher mind.

And know I am available as a life coach to help you gain clarity, overcome blocks and unleash your positive possibilities in 2022! Contact me for a free 30 minute introductory session at gail@uppcoach.com. Check out my website: https://www.uppcoach.com/

Thanks for being a loyal reader. Wishing you a very healthy and fabulous 2022!

The Affirming Way of Life can help you start your new year with a positive mindset to accomplish all you dream of! Available at Amazon.