Last year’s structure of 10 main goals and 50 small goals worked well for me, so I’m sticking with it again this year (even though I didn’t complete all my goals, though I consider that to be down to external factors needing to be prioritised, rather than me not trying hard enough).
My main goals this year have much more of a focus on music – it was my intention to finish my album and an album launch plan last year, but these have carried over to this year instead. I also want to take the time over my album and make sure I’m 100% happy with it before I start the recording process, unlike my last EP where I rushed to get something finished to reach a non-essential self-imposed deadline.
Alongside my monthly goals, I’ve listed 24 small, (mostly) fun things to do in 2018 including finishing my Orphan Black photoshoot, going camping, and buying new furniture.
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Intention of the Year
For the last 4 years I’ve set a word of the year (2014: bold, 2015: warrior, 2016: rise, 2017: depth), a guiding message that describes what you’d like to experience, feel, focus on and embody for the next 12 months. I always choose a word that can be read in multiple ways, and I make sure that all interpretations of the word resonate with me, and are positive or encouraging.
Last year ‘depth’ felt right for me because I wanted to focus inwards and declutter my internal environment (Depth = inwards, intense, mysterious, engrossed, the ocean…). It felt good to have a quiet year to regroup and re-focus on the key things I love, but it meant that I didn’t make much visible/outward progress with my goals.
I knew I wanted to focus on music and creating a passionate life this year, but the word “music” didn’t feel right for me. I thought about using the word “passion”, but that didn’t feel right either because some uses/interpretations of the word don’t speak to me.
So I’m trying something new, and instead I sat with my Goddess Guidance Oracle Deck and gave myself a reading – the card I pulled was Pele – Divine Passion.
“What part of you are you trying to ignore? What part of you has been overly concerned with pleasing others, to the detriment of hearing the sounds of your own rhythm? … Listen to your dreams. They will activate the powerful eruption of passion in your life. Do not be afraid of your own passion, for it will propel you naturally and will excite and invigorate you. When you dance to the rhythms of your life, you are truly alive in all ways.”
At the moment I use oracle cards for guidance and inspiration (I’m still working out my spiritual beliefs with regard to woo-woo things like oracle and tarot cards) – and this card resonated with me when I saw it. It can be read as:
- Make sure your career matches your true interests
- Do things that really excite you
- Go on a wonderful trip
- Invest time and money in manifesting your dreams
- Give yourself permission to go for it
These are all things I want this year (it also helps that one of my favourite albums of all time is ‘Boys for Pele’ by Tori Amos).
If I change my mind in a few weeks and want to move back to a word, or even an affirmation, then I’ll change it up – but this feels right for now.
[…] At the end of every month, you have a monthly reflection spread with questions such as “what was the most memorable part of this past month?” and “what or who are you especially grateful for this past month?”. As someone who regularly keeps a diary, and has a daily gratitude habit, the monthly reflection questions don’t all work for me – so instead I use it as a place to record happy memories from the past month, to keep track of the books, films, TV, zines, and music I’ve consumed, and to reflect on how I’m acting according to this year’s intention (Divine Passion). […]
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