How to thrive in ’25, Guilt Free!Swap a Should-Goal for a Gift-Goal
It’s a provocative notion: We’re hopeful that our "Thrive in '25" New Year’s Resolutions will magically transform bad habits into better ones on January 1. But realistically, calendars don't have the power to erase entrenched behaviors… only we have that power!
Even more disheartening,studies show that 88% of people who set New Year's Resolutions fail within the first two weeks.
Why is following through on our well-intentioned New Year promises so difficult?
Even our best-intentioned resolutions are fraught with joy and dread: The JOY of a fresh start and the DREAD of sustaining those good habits we’ve set in earnest.
In the past, I’ve failed miserably at traditional New Year's resolutions, because they felt like "shoulds" that were constrictive, impossible to maintain, and destined for failure. Things like: Join a gym and workout 5 days a week, Lose 15 pounds by March 15, Network with ten new professionals every month.
What was missing from my resolutions (and what’s often missing from this standard form of goal-setting) is compassionate wiggle room to fail miserably.
Can we make room for failure?
Let's REFRAME goal-setting and New Year’s Resolutions - right now!
Instead of focusing on what you think you SHOULD do (being more social or losing weight), can you set a goal that aligns with your natural talents and passions? Can you select a resolution that feels more like a GIFT you’re offering yourself?
Gift goals are more expansive and designed for both reflection and modification. The best part is that goals like this make room for failure!
Regardless of the outcome of your New Year’s Resolutions, you can always find new insights to harvest within the process of setting and attempting your goal—you might find ways you can pivot to feel (and be!) more successful in your quest for growth.
When I start with new coaching clients, we co-create kinder and gentler gift goals that will ensure success, align with individual core values, and (most importantly) allow for a gradual timeline that will accommodate false starts, new portals of discovery, and the option to pivot toward something different.
REFRAMES like these take time to solidify!
"When we Reframe and lean into
our imperfections, we welcome learning, adaptation, and the modifications we may have never considered."
Andrea Mein DeWitt
Name, Claim & Reframe-Your Path to a Well-Lived Life
What might change if you REFRAME your thinking around your greatest hopes and aspirations for 2025?
Let’s find out! Instead of setting a shaming, restrictive, and binding "Should-Goal" to start your year, let’s curate a "Gift-Goal" that can be fun, flexible, and forgiving!
I’ll start with some examples -
A "should-goal" is "I will be back at my college weight by March 15!"
The “gift-goal” becomes "I will feel energized, full of vitality, and more confident in my strong body!"
A “should-goal” is “I will be more social this year!”
The “gift-goal” becomes"I will strengthen connections with people who leave me feeling inspired after I’ve spent time with them!"
How might you REFRAME your mindset and position yourself to "Thrive in '25" by setting your “shoulds” aside… and offering yourself “gift goals”?
Start by asking yourself -
What’s something I truly desire this year? What “gift goal” might move me one step closer to this?
What’s a “gift goal” I might offer myself that will bring me greater fulfillment, discovery, and expansion this year?
Pull out your journal and take some time to work through your answers here, before you move on to the next step!
Now it’s time to support yourself in taking action on your Gift Goals!
Here’s how -
1. Find a champion to be your accountability partner. Consider who might help you celebrate your success… and support you when things aren’t going well. Contact this person and tell them what you’re doing and how they can keep you accountable!
2. Align your Gift Goal with the larger vision of who you are (like a core belief you want to honor). Consider what significant force for good might applaud your earnest efforts, and tie that to your gift goal. (Some Core Value ideas include: Love, Kindness, Renewal, Connection, Service, Creativity.)
3. Make your Gift Goal your default goal. Consider how you might set yourself up for success by making your goal easy to implement: What can you do differently to ensure effortless, automatic action? (If this feels unattainable, consider instead what might make this goal more convenient - and therefore more likely to achieve.)
4. Offer yourself kind curiosity and compassion when you get stuck. You will trip up (you know this!) and you’ll need inspiration to persevere toward your goal along the way. When that happens, offer yourself curious questions like, “What’s going on here? What’s interfering with my goal? What do I need right now to move past this and keep going?”
Transforming your “Thrive in ‘25” goals into Gift Goals can be truly expansive, because it will change how you see yourself and move you closer to what you deeply desire at your core.
Will you join me in creating Gift Goals this season? I can’t wait to hear what you’re working toward!
(And if you’re reading this long after the New Year begins, remember that you can always REFRAME your mindset to embrace Gift Goals - it’s never too late!)
Wishing you a 2025 full of momentum and new discoveries.
Until next time,
XO
💫 Andrea
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P.S. Whenever you're ready to take the next steps along YOUR path to a well-lived life, I've got a handful of resources to help -
#1 Get on the waiting list for future NCR offerings that will help you practice and implement the Name, Claim & Reframe Method - one step at a time!
#2. Buy your copy of my best-selling book: Name, Claim & Reframe. Learn how to align with your divine feminine ingenuity with my 3-step strategy that will help you gracefully navigate your path to a well-lived life.
#3. Order the *new* Name, Claim & Reframe Workbook! Learn how to model resourceful, strategic, and graceful leadership by elevating the energy frequency of the room with the NCR Workbook - including practical tools you can implement right now.
Take my quiz and find out: What is your leading leadership energy?
