Are your 2024 goals gifts or burdens?

Ah January.

A time of setting out your intentions for the year ahead.

For thinking about what you want to be different this year.

For taking time to focus on where you want to spend your time and energy.

It’s a super useful thing to do - we have to dream before we can work out how to make it happen. It’s a gift to give ourselves the time to reflect before we get sucked into the year.

And yet, if we’re not careful we can set the wrong types of goals. Ones stuck in the language of ‘should’ and need’.

They can be linked to meeting other people’s expectations of us, or becoming the person we think we should be (our inner critic can play a starring role here!).

It’s an easy trap to fall into.

Sometimes the language isn’t obvious but there is a hidden ‘should’ underneath. A clue is that the thought of tackling it feels heavy, the process unappealing. When things don’t work out, we can beat ourselves up for not being ‘disciplined’ enough.

Thankfully there is an alternative – the gift goal.

This type of goal comes from a different place, driven by inner expectations - what matters to you.

It’s often where the really juicy goals come out, the exciting ones that feel incredible (and sometimes a little scary) to say out loud.

Your goal becomes something you want to move towards, because it feels good.

So before you dive into your goals and to-do list for the year, take a moment to check in.

Is this something you truly want for yourself, or something you feel you should do or be?

Are your 2024 goals gifts or burdens?

And what would it be like to turn them into something that really lights you up?

Wishing you all a gift of a week,