Post 8 - Action Towards Goals: Part 1

As the summer comes to an end, it’s a good time to look back on goals and intentions set at the beginning of the year. You can review my blog post #2 regarding my approach to setting goals for 2025. Where are you with the goals you set this year? It’s not too late to adjust, make changes, or set new intentions. Every day offers a new beginning and an opportunity for a fresh start. Whether you want to start a new exercise program, meditate, spend more time with family and friends, or learn a new skill, small steps can be taken daily or weekly to move you in the direction of your goals. I’m learning a lot lately about micro-goals, which I’ve been doing this year without truly realizing it.

Micro-goals involve doing small things that help you build towards a major goal. For example, if you want to become a quilt maker, you might start out with buying a book on quilting, and then reading a chapter, and then another, and so on until the book is done. Then the next step might be purchasing some equipment and finding or purchasing fabrics to use for your quilt, and then maybe researching a class, signing up, and taking a class or practicing by using a how-to book with specific instructions. The idea is that you focus on the smaller steps instead of believing the goal is only complete when you’ve created a beautiful quilt. It may be a long journey, and having small, scalable goals really helps to keep you moving forward on your journey.

I think a lot of people get frustrated when they focus more on the end goal instead of all the little steps that get them to the endpoint. I’ve learned to celebrate small victories as I move forward and take actions towards my goals. This change in perspective has been a game-changer for me. When I set my intentions for the day, I note that I will take actions towards my goals, and there’s no judgment on what that looks like. Sometimes taking action towards my goals means resting and listening to my intuition for the day because that’s what I need to move forward. Other times, it means walking six miles, or reading a how-to book, or researching a topic. It varies, and my only expectation for myself is that I do something, no matter how small or big. The next morning, before I write my intentions for the new day, I reflect on what I did the day before, and I honor those actions. I don’t expect to achieve my goals quickly because I have some big ones, but if I’m moving in the right direction and checking off small tasks that are on the path to my bigger goals, I’m building the foundation I need to have successful goals. 

In addition to micro-goals, another topic that I came across last year was setting your New Year’s goals in October. The transition from summer to fall and a three-month buildup to the new year offers some time to really think about what’s next and plant seeds early for the new year. You can wind down goals set at the beginning of the year and start taking steps towards newer goals for the upcoming year. I love the idea of having a little head start. It feels like it takes the pressure off the “What’s your New Year’s Resolution?” questions that come at the beginning of the year. It gives you time to think about things more deeply and ease into actions that will help you start the new year off with a bang. I will be exploring this concept more in October.

For now, I just want to remind you again that it’s never too late to start anew and to take actions that move you towards your goals, whatever they may be. I will share more soon, as a lot has come up for me as I’ve started to reflect on the past year.

Wishing you love, light, and a life filled with authenticit-E.

Estella