Are you tired of feeling like something is missing in your life? Ready to break free from the mundane and
Feeling the weight of unmet expectations, are you yearning for a fresh start? Perhaps a chance to hit the reset button and start anew?
Are you disappointed again in what you have achieved or where you are in your life? Do you find yourself wishing for the strength and perseverance of those who seem to effortlessly reach their goals?
As I pause to reflect on the passing of yet another year, I’m drawn to a pivotal question: Is It Me? The Goal? Or The Expectation?
Each year, I eagerly set new expectations, envisioning a better version of myself and a brighter future within the span of the next 12 months.
Yet, upon introspection, I’m met with the stark realization that many of my goals remain unfulfilled, the distance between aspiration and attainment seemingly insurmountable. In the face of this, doubt begins to creep in, and negative thoughts threaten to overshadow any sense of progress.
Isn’t this a familiar narrative when we fall short of our own expectations? We chastise ourselves, internalizing perceived shortcomings and allowing self-criticism to dictate our inner dialogue.
It would be all too easy to succumb to the weight of frustration and self-pity, blaming ourselves for perceived failures and lost time.
But dwelling on past missteps serves only to perpetuate feelings of inadequacy and despair. Instead, I challenge myself, and I implore you to do the same: Is it Me? The Goal? Or The Expectation?
Now is the time to embark on a journey of self-discovery, to cast aside the shadows of doubt and embrace the possibility of a brighter tomorrow.
Let us dare to dream once more, to reimagine our aspirations and carve out a new path forward. With each step, may we find solace in the knowledge that every journey begins with a single, courageous decision: to start anew.
Amidst the passage of time, another year has been added to my age, prompting reflection on the expectations I had set for myself. A year ago, I eagerly crafted a vision for the upcoming twelve months, envisioning the changes and improvements I hoped to see in my life.
However, as I look back on the goals I had set and the aspirations I had harbored, I must confess that the reality falls short of my expectations. In truth, it’s not even close.
In the midst of introspection, doubts begin to cloud my mind, and self-criticism takes hold. I find myself falling into a familiar pattern of berating myself, each unmet goal serving as fodder for negative self-talk.
Isn’t this a common reaction when our resolutions remain unfulfilled? We indulge in self-reproach, chastising ourselves for our perceived inadequacies and shortcomings.
I could easily succumb to frustration and despair, lamenting the time lost and the opportunities squandered. But dwelling on the past serves no purpose other than to perpetuate feelings of regret and disappointment.
Instead, I choose to pose a simple question to myself, one that I now extend to you: Is it Me? The Goal? Or The Expectation?
It’s time to cast aside the shadows of self-doubt and embark on a journey of self-discovery. Let us reevaluate our aspirations and chart a new course forward, guided by hope and fueled by determination.
Do you need to start anew? To answer this question, we must delve deeper and ask ourselves a series of introspective inquiries.
“Are my plans truly as necessary as I once believed?” Perhaps, in my fervor, I placed undue significance on them. It’s time to reassess and ensure that I’m not overly dependent on them.
When our goals remain unattained, it begs the question: were they truly indispensable in the first place? Life inundates us with myriad responsibilities and challenges, necessitating a constant reassessment of our priorities.
In the whirlwind of daily tasks, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and watch as our aspirations languish at the bottom of an ever-growing to-do list. I, too, experienced this struggle when launching a new venture. Despite my best intentions, certain objectives, like exercise, invariably took a backseat to more pressing concerns.
But I’ve come to realize that it’s okay to momentarily sideline certain pursuits for the sake of overarching priorities. We can’t expect ourselves to accomplish everything in a single day.
The key lies in discerning what truly matters in the grand scheme of our lives and aligning our actions accordingly. By focusing on the endgame and prioritizing the facets of our existence that hold genuine significance, we pave the way for a more purposeful and fulfilling journey.
Sometimes, we make a plan or a goal because it seems like the “thing to do.” We can hear someone make a goal and think it sounds like a great one. We, too, wish we could achieve it, so we decided to put it on our list.
When we decide upon a goal, we must ensure that they are our goal and not others. They may sound like a good goal, seem fun and exciting, or an impressive goal to say we accomplished. But they aren’t our goals. They aren’t leading us to something significant for us and what we desire for ourselves or our lives.
We should take the time to think about the motivation behind our goal. We can create a long list of things to accomplish without a strong enough reason behind them, leading to an unachieved goal and an easy way to disappoint ourselves.
Sometimes, we set a goal because we want to achieve it eventually in the distant vision of our life; however, it just doesn’t fit into the here and now.
We may want to get more fit, learn another language, or take a photography class because it fits our vision of our future life. We may wish to hike the Rocky Mountains, visit Italy, and capture higher-quality photos of our favorite moments.
However, if we are juggling a new job, four boys, or a current chapter of our life that doesn’t allow time for that particular goal, meaning it would be very low on our list of priorities, we will not give it the time and attention it takes to accomplish it.
That is okay! Now is not the time, but that does not mean there won’t be time.
if we are not allowing ourselves realistic timeframes for accomplishing our goal, we are setting ourselves up for failure and will lack confidence in our ability.
Whatever we decide to accomplish, we need to ensure it is clear-cut. If we do, we will know what we are trying to achieve. A goal is a small part of a big-picture plan; if we look at the entire picture, we may not see the intricate pieces needed to create it. We must narrow our focus and become specific.
For our goal to be good, we must set markers that prove our progress. We may think we are moving forward, but without a way to gauge ourselves, we may move laterally instead or even away from our desired location.
As mentioned earlier, our goal must fit our current ability to focus on it. We must look at our current schedule and what is on our calendar and decide if we can create room for our goal.
Do we have the ability to give it the focus it will require? Is our goal obtainable at this time in our life? If it is more important than something else on our calendar, the new plan becomes the priority for that space.
Our goal also must be given the proper time. Sometimes, a plan only needs a few months, a year, or several years.
If we do not set realistic timeframes for accomplishing our goal, we will set ourselves up for failure and lose confidence in our ability.
We may want to lose 75 pounds in 3 months for our sister’s wedding, but realistically, we would not achieve that. We may want to save $100,000 in a year but have an income of $75,000.
The best goals are the goals we achieve. We can dream, plan, and set goals for many things that we genuinely want to achieve and fit into our lives, but we must be allowed the proper amount of time to make them.
Once you ask and answer the questions, you will determine if you want to start anew.
I asked myself the questions; when I decided I could no longer wallow in my self-pity. I only give myself 10 minutes to feel sorry for myself.
Were my plans as necessary as I thought they were?
Was my why strong enough?
Could I achieve it?
And was it a good goal?
However, after looking at some of my goals, I concluded that not all of my goals met the proper goal requirements. Some didn’t fit into my current chapter of life. Some I didn’t care enough about, and some I didn’t want to attain anymore.
There were a couple I didn’t want to erase or put on a future list; I wanted to start anew.
The great thing about asking yourself the right questions is it gives you joy.
I felt as if I had a new beginning. I had given myself grace. Now, instead of beating myself up, I could start anew. I saw the paths that lead me astray, I see just how much they mean to me, and I can develop a better plan for achieving them.
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It doesn’t matter if it is big or small.
You can start anew.
I have done it, and so can you.
Start by asking yourself the right questions: What is my motivation? What will I achieve? Is that as important as I say it is? Do I genuinely want a new start? If the answer is yes, start anew.
Remember, give yourself the grace you deserve.
You have the opportunity to achieve the goals; you need to make sure you don’t beat yourself up and create a new plan following the requirements: motivation, a strong why, a plan designed for success, and confidence.
I’m the girl who went from receptionist, to Director of Operations, and now Founder of her own company. I love road trips, music, coffee, and creating a plan (for anything!). My mission? To help other women embrace their awesome, achieve their dreams, and live a life they 💜!
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hey, there!
I'm Misty Celli
I’m an expert at self-improvement, a nerd when it comes to spreadsheets, and my obsession is teaching others how to embrace their awesomeness so they can live a life they love (without feeling selfish).
