Life Goals for a Purposeful Life

Let's be like Glass Flowers and Flower All Year Round

Well, here we are again! The end of another year. I don’t know about you, but this year was a long and short one at the same time for me. I cannot believe that it is over and at the same time so much has happened. Nevertheless, here we are. This is my favourite time of the year to reflect on the year that was and plan for the year ahead.

According to research, 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail and by the middle of February, most people have lost their motivation. I stopped setting New Year’s Resolutions many years ago, now I set what I call My Life Goals. These are the goals that are going to lead me to have a full and purposeful life. These are the goals that when I do not feel like getting up in the morning and feel like I want to sleep in and not move, motivate me to kick those covers and jump out of bed. They are goals of things that I want to do with my life to live a meaningful and purposeful life, so that when I look back at my life as an 80-year-old woman, using the average age of my parents as a benchmark, I will, as in the words of Frank Sinatra’s song, My Way, “Regrets, I've had a few. But then again, too few to mention.”

I know that to have the life that I desire, I have to work towards it and set goals to achieve it. These goals cover the various aspects of my life including Spirituality, Family, Career, Business, Health, Retirement, and Finances. I have been setting my life goals since I graduated from high school, which is many moons ago. I must say, I may have missed some goals along the way, however, I have achieved the key ones that mattered. That’s what the goals do for me, they are a guideline to ensure that I stay on the course and stay focused on what really matters to me. They make sure that I always have my North Star in sight.

Each year I reflect on what I have achieved and carry over to the following year what still needs to be achieved in addition to the new goals for the new year. I have found that this has worked wonders for me. It has also helped me weather the storms of life because I always try to focus on the bigger picture and not sweat the small stuff. Now, I am passing it on to the next generation, I am helping my children set their Life Goals. Although they are in still high school, they are thinking about what they need to do to be accepted into their desired universities or colleges. It is never too early or too late to start because as long as we are still alive and breathing, we are still growing and have room to be better than we were yesterday. Above all, we still have a purpose to fulfill.

This festive season, my gift to you is that if you feel like you need a change in your life and want to revolutionize your life in the New Year and you have never set Life Goals for yourself, now is a good time to start. You will be amazed at what a difference it will make in your life and your future focus. Additionally, you should partner with someone to hold you accountable. This could be a family member, a friend, a colleague or a Coach to also support you on your journey.

If you already have your Life Goals, then you know what I am talking about. My question to you is: What are you going to do differently next year to help you achieve your next level of greatness within you?