It’s January 1st.
You excitedly write out a list of your five or ten (or thirty, if you’re like me) New Year’s Resolutions.

It’s February 17th.
New Year’s Whoodywhatty’s?

Ring any bells? That used to be me to a T (although February 17th would’ve been a stretch for me)!

While I wholeheartedly believe in the intention behind New Year’s Resolutions, I have developed such a negative association with the phrase (due to my own lack of stick-to-it-iveness) over the years that I’ve decided to mindfully create a short list of Desires & Commitments for this upcoming year.

In examining my past experiences of not following through with my resolutions, a pattern emerged:

1. Look back at what didn’t work for me in the previous year – get bummed out
2. Brainstorm big exciting goals for the new year – get inspired
3. Start working toward my new exciting goals – get overwhelmed
4. Slowly forget about my big exciting goals – get complacent
5. Fall back into the habits of my previous year – get stagnant

. . . and then December would roll around and I’d jump straight back to #1. Sound familiar?

This year, in order to break the aforementioned pattern, I’ve created a handy dandy monthly check-in questionnaire! I hope this monthly check-in helps you to stay on track with your Desires & Commitments for the year!

Beginning of the Month Questions (What, Why, and When)

• What 3 commitments do I most want to fulfill this month?
  Get specific & be clear. How will you know when you’ve fulfilled it?
  Keep it simple. Set 3 commitments instead of 10 until you get the hang of consistently fulfilling them…then consider adding one each subsequent month

• Why do I want to fulfill each commitment?
  Get vulnerable & attach emotions to each commitment. If you have a really passionate reason that resonates with your heart, it will be easier for you to jump back in the groove to fulfillment if you fall out of it

• When will I complete these commitments?
  Break it down into immediate next actions. When you create realistic timelines for your commitments, achieving them bit-by-bit feels much more doable and satisfying. Set some mini-finish-lines for yourself to cross throughout the month for each of your bigger commitments.

End of the Month Questions (Progress, Pivot, and People)

• What progress did I make on each commitment this month?
  Own it! Acknowledge your accomplishments for the month. No matter how “small” you might judge your progress as being — it’s still progress! Explore your victories. What methods supported your successes? Was it posting your progress on social media? Perhaps a daily check-in with a loved one at the end of each day or week?

• Where can I pivot my approach to serve me better?
  Be honest. Recognizing what isn’t working for you is just as important as recognizing what is.
  Get creative. This process is all about finding what’s going to work for you, so I encourage you to think outside of the box to come up with methods of fulfilling your commitments that excite you! If you want to change a commitment — change away! Don’t feel locked into a commitment that you aren’t excited about. If it’s something you absolutely must do (like paying your rent or bills), consider how you can reframe your why (from the answers above) to be more exciting for you.

• What people can I share my plans with?
  Sharing is caring! When you tell other people about your goals, you can ask them for support and they’ll help hold you accountable when you aren’t feeling overly motivated

Let’s all get out there and kick some serious booty this year!

2015, we’re coming for ya!

xo,
Nicole