Goal setting for your new year

How do you set goals when everything feels uncertain?

Mapping your vision for the year ahead

I am a big believer in the power of setting clear goals and writing them down. Whether you’re a linear thinker who appreciates a good project plan, or you take the more mystical “power of attraction” approach, it’s so helpful to declare your desires.

But when we’ve lost so much in pandemic, it almost feels like a waste of time to set goals. Why set myself up to be disappointed by everything that isn’t possible?

I think it’s more important than ever to create a clear vision for ourselves, so we don’t lose sight of our needs and our values as we navigate challenges. We don’t control all the external chaos but we can take charge of how we live and how we feel.

That’s why I’m offering this self-paced course: to help guide you to creating your vision for how you want to live your life in the new year, with a plan that’s tailored to what’s happening in your world and the values that speak to your heart.

You'll set your goals within the realities of your life today

Constraints foster creativity

In a series of hands-on exercises, you’ll look ahead to how you’d like your new year to be.

You’ll work within the realities of how the coming year is likely to be. All manner of research shows that constraints foster creativity, so maybe you’ll set a vision for yourself that surprises even you.

Imagine writing a haiku. When you’re trying to express an idea within the limited syllables of the form, you might choose different words than you’d use if you were speaking and maybe assemble them in an unusual order. Or think of going to see an improv show: Actors ask the audience to suggest prompts for the scene they’re about to create, like naming a relationship and a movie genre. The improvisation is creating their scene in real time within the constraints of those suggestions the audience shouts out.

What constraints are you facing in 2021, and how can you get creative within them?

I've heard enough. I'm in!

Self-paced modules make it easy for you to work however you prefer these days

Choose your own adventure

This course lets you create your personalized visioning retreat:

You’ll get access to all the worksheets and videos all at once. Each segment will take about 20 minutes, though of course you can spend as much or as little time doing the exercises as you like. Maybe you’d like to spend a focused day charting your vision for the year. You can break them into two or three chunks, or spread them out over several days or weeks.

Choose the way you like to work. Each segment includes written instructions, a video and a worksheet. Everyone learns differently and we all have our own unique demands on our time and energy. I suggest you set aside some quiet time where you focus on yourself, but you can listen to the video while you’re exercising or on the go, if you’re more of a podcast person. You can sleep on the exercises or talk them over with friends. Create the experience that meets your needs and preferences.

Collaborative or solo? If you’d like help coming up with ideas on one of the exercises or a different perspective thinking through roadblocks that have tripped you up before, let’s talk about how I can support you as your coach. Or sign up with a friend and discuss your progress. If you’re more of a private person, the modules are designed to allow you to work completely independently.

Your guide on this journey has both personal experience creating life visions and professional training as a life and career coach. I started writing life goals for myself more than two decades ago, so this course is informed by my own trial and error. I’ve evolved my personal practice as I’ve blogged for the last 10 years about living life intentionally, learning about what works for creating goals that people actually follow through on. I am a trained and experienced coach, having done immersive coursework with CTI, the foremost organization offering in-person coach training. Learn more about me and my background.

But this course is more about you than about me. This isn’t sitting back and watching yet another streaming video. My role is to provide you with the instructions you need to roll up your sleeves and create your vision. I’m more of a personal trainer, helping you learn how to use the equipment and cheering you along, than lecturer. I don’t want you to feel the obligation of more webinars you “should” watch. I want you to use these tools to make your personal plan that will make your life as good as it can be for you, all things considered.

Here’s what one student wrote after she finished:

– I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED YOUR COURSE!!! I have never received so much value, discovery about myself, validation, meaningful exploration, nor completed every page of a worksheet in a course like this. You were natural, engaged, and invested all the way through, and it showed. It made me more committed as well. I couldn’t wait to get back to it.

– Thank you so much for sharing your values and personal experiences that you weaved in as it made understanding the lessons and exercises easier and relatable. It all made great sense and motivated me to figure out myself even more.

– After seeing all that you put into this course, the worksheets and videos, the personalization and clarities, how you brought it all together, additional explorations (outside links or books you mention), perhaps you’ll consider increasing your price later, because you give so much more value.

The good news is that although I think Christine is right, my class includes a lot more than $49 worth, I’m not raising the price. I’m thrilled that I can use my personal goal-setting experience and professional coaching training to help you navigate turbulent times.

Another student said:

This course was a fantastic way to create a vision for the coming year.

The segments were perfectly timed into workable chunks- able to be processed and worked on even with a busy and scattered schedule. The segments unfold on one another in a way that gives a very real sense of meaning and accomplishment. The results were meaningful but, more importantly, doable and Colleen’s gentle yet structured approach adds to the process.

Highly recommend.