my goal for 2022

My goal for 2022

my goal for 2022

Time to share my goal for 2022! Before I do I will first share this quote from a poem by Rupi Kaur which I love and which is very apt for this time of the year.

The year is done. I spread the past three hundred sixty-five days before me on the living room carpet… I fold the good days up and place them in my back pocket for safekeeping. Draw the match. Cremate the unnecessary. The light of the fire warms my toes. I pour myself a glass of warm water to cleanse myself for January. Here I go. Stronger and wiser into the new.”

– from The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur

I hope you have ended 2021 feeling stronger and wiser. It was a challenging year for most of us but making it through a year like that after what we endured in 2020 we can all hold our heads high.

Now on to my goal setting process for 2022. I have followed the same process I have used for the last seven years and have found it to be one that really works for me. It has also worked for over 600 women who use this process to set a goal in my Planned + Present e-course.

If you are familiar with my goal setting process and just want to skip this part to see what my goal for 2022 is click here, otherwise read on to see how I arrived at my goal.

1. Review the previous 12 months asking these questions

In step one ask the following questions:

  • What were your successes?
  • What didn’t work out?
  • What made you happy?
  • What made you unhappy?
  • What did you want to do more of?

I shared my answers to these questions in full here. In the lead up to deciding on my goal for 2022 I have had lots of ideas about what I would like to work on and was wondering how I would choose between the competing interests. But it was through writing answers to these questions that I could begin to see some clear signs about what was most important to me at this point in time.

2. Preview the coming 12 months asking these questions

In step two begin looking forward to what you know is coming in the new year. The last two years have certainly shown us that we can never truly know what is coming but there are some knowns for us. Ask yourself these questions:

  • What is on the calendar for you?
  • What is on the calendar for your partner?
  • What ages and stages are the kids at?
  • What other commitments are on the horizon?

In 2022 I will have fewer kids in school than out of school. I will be down to managing only one school, something that has not happened for over a decade. The two younger boys will be in year 8 and year 10. This will create a very different dynamic in the house. I am sure I will have some adjustments to make but I do think it will free up some time for me.

3. List everything you want to do in 2022

The next step is to list all of the things you want to do in the year, knowing that it won’t be possible to do them all. By listing all the activities, tasks, habits that are floating around in your head, it then lets you ask these questions about the list:

  • Are there any overarching themes in the list?
  • What images come to mind when reading over the list?

The overarching theme for me this year was expansion. Wanting more experiences, to read more, see friends more, more travel. In terms of images, the following popped into my mind immediately:

  • Sun
  • Heart
  • Lines

4. Craft your single goal statement

Once you have completed the first three steps it is then time to create your single goal statement. When I create the statement I like it to be short so I can easily remember it, like a mantra and for it to have two parts:

What + Why = Single Goal Focus Goal Statement

My single goal statement for 2022 is as follows:

Cultivate routines to expand my knowledge and experiences

Cultivating some new routines is my what for 2022 and my why is to expand my knowledge and experiences. This provides me my key direction for the year:

  1. It becomes my mantra for the year. One single sentence I can repeat to myself and focus on through the happy and more challenging times through out the year.
  2. It acts as a decision making framework. When presented with opportunities or challenges I ask myself if I take them on will it help me achieve my goal?
  3. It prevents me from feeling overwhelmed by competing priorities. Previous years I have set myself many goals and inevitably at some point in the year I feel torn between where I should spend my time, energy and attention.

The next step goes down to a more detailed level and focuses on what I can do daily/weekly to help me achieve my goal.

5. Creating habits to support my goal

my goal for 2022 - habits

I now have my single goal statement as my north star for the year and with my new habits determined, I know exactly what it is I am going to do on a daily basis to achieve my goal. I need to establish habits that become part of my regular routine that are aligned with and will ensure I meet my goal. There will be other things I do along the way that will move me forward but the habits below will create a solid foundation for me to keep on track.

HabitConnection to goal - Cultivate routines to expand my knowledge and experiencesQuote - “Change is the end result of all true learning.” – Leo Buscaglia
Read for a minimum of 15 minutes per day. There is so much to learn from both fiction and non fiction books. I have a huge list of books that I have wanted to read for some time, so this year to help expand my knowledge I am committing to read more. My target for the year is to read 25 books.“Think before you speak. Read before you think.” – Fran Lebowitz
Invest one hour a week learning about our First Nations PeoplesReconciliation NSW recommends learning and understanding more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ histories, Cultures, Languages, technology and land management techniques as educating yourself is the first step in the journey towards reconciliation. My knowledge and understanding is severely lacking and I want to change this."Knowing is not enough; We must apply. Willing is not enough; We must do." – Bruce Lee
Volunteer on a weekly basisVolunteering is an activity where you can be of service to others and learn so much from the experience. It has been some time since I have volunteered outside of schools etc and I want to get back into it for 2022.“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Spend one hour a week planning and visiting new attractionsThere are so many great attractions and experiences in Melbourne both free and paid and when the kids were younger we used to visit them frequently. Since the kids have stopped wanting to do this, I have stopped going too. But there is no reason why I cannot go on my own or with Phil or with friends!

While I have allocated one hour per week, this can be averaged out across the month as my overall aim is to visit two new (to me) attractions per month.
"Fill your life with experiences. Not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show." Unknown

My previous single goal statements

If you are after some goal inspiration, here are the single goal statements I have worked toward and achieved (with varying success!) over the last few years:

  • 2015 – Be a planned and present mother to my beautiful kids
  • 2016 – Create space in my life for creativity and calm
  • 2017 – To invest in my relationships with family, friends and community to bring joy and connection
  • 2018 – Detach from the old and embrace the new to nurture a family spirit of adventure
  • 2019 – Nurture new routines to re-energise, re-invigorate and create personal growth
  • 2020 – Simplify daily life to spend more time with family and friends
  • 2021 – Do the inner work to be able to give more to those around me

What is your goal for 2022?