My best friend and I have a morning ritual. Each morning before I start work, I email both of our horoscopes to her to read (and naturally read them myself).
This time of year is when the horoscopes for the new year generally start to appear. Often the year ahead is broken down into categories.
The most popular ones being your career, your health, and your love life.
Which lead me to think, what if I was to write my own horoscope for the year? Granted I don’t know anything about the position of the sun or moon, but I do know what I want next year to look like.
Let’s try an exercise.
Step 1
Write down your 3 or 4 main categories to focus on for the year. Feel free to chose you own – whatever is important and relevant to you.
Step 2
Write down under each category, what your big-ticket items for each category would be. Be as specific as possible.
Step 3
Once you have decided what you are really chasing for the year, now it’s time to get into a bit more detail.
Make that a lot more detail.
Note at this point, this exercise is about what YOU want. Not your partner, not your children, not your family.
Just YOU!
Break each item from each category down into months of the year. Place what you want to happen in each month. If you want to go to Tuscany in August, write that down.
Step 4
Next, break it down into weeks of the year.
This time, however, you need to populate this section with actions.
What do you need to do each week to work towards those big-ticket items? For instance, write down the actions you need to put in place to take that trip to Italy.
Whether you realize it or not, you have just done some goal setting for the year, which, of course, was the whole idea of this post.
Naturally you will need to flesh out your plans in more detail. As many of you already know, it is best to set your goals using the SMART acronym. Each goal must be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely. Factor this in when you are writing your actions.
It is also incredibly important that you write your goals down. Don’t simply run through this exercise in your head, it will not be as effective.
Whether you believe in horoscopes or not is irrelevant.
What is important is that you end up with a set of goals and actions to work towards. That way, you won’t be aimlessly drifting through the year, waiting to see what happens to you.
Horoscopes are notoriously vague, being interpreted differently by each individual reader.
Your goals, however, should not be vague. Your first draft doesn’t need to be perfect. Naturally, your plan will need some tweaking as you go along.
You do, however, need a clear picture of what you want to achieve.
Some people might think goal setting is a bit overwhelming (particularly if it’s their first time). Instead turn it into a fun exercise, working out what you want your year to look like.
Read your stars regularly for fun, but focus daily on achieving your goals.
Take control of your own life. No matter what star sign you are – be in charge of your own destiny.
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I love the idea of writing our own future. This gives us solid goals to focus on – and more importantly – to work toward. Nothing will get accomplished if we simply wish and hope for it with no real plan of action.
Hi Roxanne
Great to have you here!! Thank you so much for the comment. You are definitely right, wishing and hoping does not get the job done. Taking consistent action is a must.
I bought a large 2011 wall planner today, so I am ready to do some serious planning!!
Cheers
Thea
Hi Thea,
What a brilliant woman you are!! I just loved reading that article. No only was it enjoyable to read, with your easy style, but you have enthused me to write my own horoscope for 2011 – and by the way that I am feeling after reading your article it is going to be a humdinger!! Keep up the great work and I look forward to more of your articles.
Warm smiles
Jody
Hi Jody
Thank you so much for your kind words. I am so glad that you enjoyed the article. I hope your horoscope was a humdinger!!!
All the best for 2011 and I look forward to seeing you here again. Thanks again for the great comment.
Have a wonderful Christmas!
Cheers
Thea
Cool idea, to write your own future. You have, in effect, done an innovative map to goal setting with a creative flair. Well done!
Writing is indeed a difficult profession or pastime as we need to be so disciplined in order to get things done.
I’ve always found that chopping large tasks or projects into a series of smaller ones has worked for me as it enables me to reach one achievable goal at a time.
Wishing you all the best for 2011.
Hi Doreen
Thanks for the great comment. Lovely to see you here. My apologies for the delay in getting back to you. The beginning of the year was crazy with the weather around here.
Yes writing takes a lot of discipline. I am constantly working to improve mine. I found coaching made all the difference for me, that was such a good investment.
I do love the idea of chopping larger tasks into smaller ones, that way the task doesn’t feel too overwhelming.
I wish you all the best for 2011 as well and look forward to seeing you here again soon.
Cheers
Thea