Welcome to 2019!

I think you’ll agree 2018 flew by incredibly fast!

And realistically, 2019 is likely to do the same.

So, what’s your plan for 2019? What are you hoping to achieve? How is this year going to different from last year? And the year before?

In order to help you answer those questions, I want to share an exercise with you that is an annual ritual for me. I do it. My team do it. And my clients do it. My partner even does it. We all create an Intent Word for the year.

You might have heard me mention this concept of an Intent Word in the past. Essentially, your Intent Word gives context, clarity and purpose.

At this time of year, we hear a lot about goal setting.

I know first-hand that goals are a great idea. I know the science behind their success, and I see them work with clients all the time.

… but … before we can set goals, I think we first need to set an intent or a purpose for the year. That becomes the big picture, the context or the driving focus for the year ahead. And this intent for the year can simply be one word.

I want you to take a moment to look forward at the year ahead. Let me ask you this.

• What do you want this year to be all about for you?
• Is this going to be a year of learning?
• Or the year you’re going to step up and shine?
• Is this year going to be about growth?
• Or it is actually about laying the foundations and getting things settled in and secure?
• Are you positioning yourself for a promotion?
• Or building new skills?
• Or building a business?

As you can see, there are so many options to choose from!

And that’s exactly the point …

In order for this year to be as successful as possible for you, you first need to define what success will look like for you! And come to the end of the year, how will know if you have been successful or not?

There are so many ways in which you can approach this coming year. And it’s very easy to get busy running around making everything happen.

When we set ourselves an Intent Word, this creates focus, it creates a purpose, and it helps us know what are the right activities to do. The beauty of an Intent word is that as opportunities come along, or when there are conflicting demands on your time, you can use your Intent word to give you clarity around the choices you make.

Let me share an example with you. One of my clients was enjoying a very successful career. She was on the pursuit to Partner at one of the ‘Big Four’. Her work hours were definitely encroaching on her home life, and she’d noticed that the things that mattered to her were starting to slip – health, ‘me time’, spending! In order for her to continue enjoying her role, and feeling motivated to strive, she knew she had to get these non-negotiable items back on track.

So, she set her Intent Word … Discipline.

This one word created focus for her to make better, more empowered and sustainable decisions. We created rituals to help her embed discipline.

Daily:  She asked her Manager and colleagues to keep her accountable to leaving work by 5.30pm each day. She also set a daily alarm for 5.15pm at which point she had to pack up for the day.

Weekly:  She found a personal trainer who she would see two days per week at 6pm, to ensure she left the office on time and looked after herself.
Sunday mornings, she would meal plan for the week ahead then enjoy the afternoon cooking with her hubby so dinners were done for the week.

Monthly:  She would track and celebrate her successes, and set her personal and career goals for the month ahead.
Thanks to her Intent Word, she realised that she could achieve all her work within the 8½ hours in the office, and she didn’t need to sacrifice her own time, health and wellbeing in order to have a successful career.

Now with the new year and all those rituals being habits which happen on autopilot, it’s time for a new Intent Word. I can’t wait to hear what her focus is for 2019!

Let me ask you. How are you prioritising YOU in 2019? What is your 2019 Intent Word? I’d love to hear from you!

To help you ponder that, I want to share this fantastic song I discovered late last year. Here is my 2019 blessing to you! I truly want you to have it all!!