2020 Vision [How To Plan For The Future Without Anxiety]

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At the end of every year I probably read a thousand blog posts about New Year’s resolutions.  Half of them were the same ole suggested goal setting articles. And the other half were “holy hades, you made it just breathe” posts.

I originally wrote this blog post at the end of 2020.  But it’s safe to say every year since has been a doozie.  I, for one, feel like if something could have been thrown at me; 2020 (and every year since) pitched it.  And now...I have seen enough to know I have seen too much!  (Thank you A League Of Their Own for that perfect quote!)

And regardless of the year in question, once it’s over, many of us are well...anxious.  And can you blame us?  We had all these plans and hopes to see come true by year’s end…and it seem most of them went to pot.  So pardon us if we’re all a wee bit anxious, maybe even cynical, about planning for the future and taking on new resolutions.   

That said, how can we plan for the future without anxiety?

The Most Well-Made Plans

Okay, so we all had lists.  We all had plans.  And for the majority of us maybe we accomplished 20%? 10%? 0%?  That can be beyond disappointing to look back and see all that still remains undone.  Not to mention it’s incredibly disheartening when we try to plan for the new year.

But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have some goals.  For one thing, can we change our view of the past to something a little less devastating?  Perhaps see how resilient we were?  How well we pivoted when things went left?  How we overcame unexpected challenges?  How we are still here.  Those are all major accomplishments  

If we can find a way to see our strength through the past, that will help us to know we have the strength for our future.  Knowing you were an unstoppable force.  No matter what came your way, you pushed through.  So what happens when an unstoppable force meets opportunity?

What Truly Matters

So now that you realize that your unstoppable inner goddess is ready to make some magic, let’s put her to work.  The past always has the uncanny ability to help all of us identify one thing: what is truly important.  For you what was it?  I’m sure family, health, furkids are somewhere on that list...but what else?

What else surfaced during the year?  What feels undone?  What helped you cope?  Did you discover a new hobby?  A new friendship?  A new morning routine?  Whatever it is you learned to enjoy last year, carry it with you into the future.  Promise yourself you won’t give up on this newly-found facet of yours.

One way to avoid being anxious is to focus on something or someone else. So with that in mind, could you devote some time every day to that which gave you peace last year?

A Dream Without A Plan Is Just A Wish

While I love Jiminy Cricket as much as the next doll, I know my dreams and wishes cannot come true without some planning.  But, those plans don’t need to be rigid.

Our paths show all of us the power of the pivot — leaving ourselves enough room to maneuver around the unexpected.  So set a few of those future goals for yourself.  But just remember: be kind to yourself.

Speak to yourself the way you speak to your best friend. Be gracious.  A few steps every day will still get you over the same mountain.  So there’s no need to rush or be overly harsh on yourself.

You’ve made it through a lot, Babe.  So cheers to you!

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