Let's put on our 2021 goggles! Part 1

What do I mean by put on our 2021 goggles? Let me give you a little background. A little over a decade ago, I was coming off an exceptionally challenging year. That year included changing jobs, raising a 2-year-old (which, as every parent will attest, can be hair raising), and coming out of a particularly sticky bout of depression. 

Come December, I had had enough and was ready to set my sights sites on something better. I wanted to feel better, be a better parent, and show up in the world better. That was the year I discovered New Year's goggles. I'm not talking about those giant funky glasses you wear on New Year's eve. I'm talking about a lens to view the coming year through — one that sets your sights on what you want, how you want to feel, and how you want to show up in the world.

That first year I knew I wanted more joy in my life...

at home, at work, and everywhere in between, so JOY became my word for the New Year. I drew the letters and created a small doodle that I stuck up on my computer screen and set my intention. That's when the magic began to happen.

We have this fantastic thing called the Reticular Activating System. It's a bundle of nerves at our brain stem that filters out unnecessary information, so the important stuff gets through. It's why you can distinguish your child's cry from every other noise on the playground. By setting my intention on joy, I let my brain know to be on the lookout for it. 

As the year went along, I began to notice things about joy popping up everywhere. I read books and articles about joy, watched movies about joy, and played games with my son, which sparked joy. I visited my favorite book stores, libraries, museums, and art supply stores, often. I splashed around paint and ink with my son just for the joy of making a mess. I even created a flowchart about having more joy (more about that in our next newsletter)

Step 1) Check your gauges. There are many dimensions to every person's life — mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, family, friends, financial, vocation, or school, to name just few. Taking a quick visual check can steer you to areas you may want to focus on in the coming year.



Grab your template and a marker, write down a dimension, do a quick gut check, then color in how full your tank is from Empty ("E") to Full ("F"). Don't overthink it, just go with your gut. Repeat for the eight dimensions above, or pick some of your own. Now put your template away and come back to it in a few hours or the next day. 

Step 2) Choose your focus. Pick out a few dimensions that grab your attention. Look at
what you've colored in. Are there any areas that speak to you? It could be a dimension that's running low and you want to build up, or one that's full, and you want to make sure it stays that way. Again don't overthink it, just go with your gut.

Step 3) Generate your words. For the dimensions that grab your attention, jot any down words that pop into your head. Choose words that are positive and future-focused. For example, for financial, you might include "prosperous" or "fit" or "growing." In contrast, for mental, your list might consist of "strong" or "healthy" or "peaceful." Use your intuition. The words don't have to make sense to anyone but you. Keep writing down words for each dimension until you run out of ideas. Shoot for 5 to 10 words for each of the dimensions that interest you

Step 4) Sift and filter. First, look at all the words you've written down, grab a marker or a highlighter, and circle the words that speak to you. Look for common words and overlaps. Now pull the words you've highlighted or circled into a new list. From this list, choose three words that really sing. Write them down together, then write them down again in a different order, and then do it one more time.

Step 5) Percolate and ideate. Over the next two weeks, look over your three words a few times. Play around with the words. Replace any that don't feel just right. Keep going until you have three words that roll off your tongue with ease, that feel right to you, and encapsulate how you want to feel and show up in the world in the coming year — the ones that reflect the best self you want to become. When you have them just right, write them down on a sticky note and hold on to it until our next blog post on Dec 25th. In Part 2, you'll take those three words and create a flowchart to finalize your 2021 goggles.

After you have your three words take a break with a little drawing practice.