2021 is here!

I’m not going to guide you in setting your goals. Because chances are you already know how to. But if you’re feeling a combination of anxiety and excitement towards your goals that sounds like; “OMG that would be freaking amazing but holy shit where do I begin?”

Read on.

If you’re like me you love anything and everything that represents a fresh start; the first page of a new journal, a blank canvas, Mondays, a new day, week, month, season, you name it!

You’ve been thinking about what you accomplished in 2020–and unspokenly hard on yourself for what was left unfinished, untouched, or worse, what didn’t go as planned.

Goal setting is so engrained in you that you can’t help but think of all the things that you’re gonna do this year. You’ve got plenty of goal setting tools but still love finding new ones because you’re a keener. But truth be told, you could use a break from your over-achieving ways for once.

But then again, it’s you. You get shit done. And you make each year better than the last because you’re just like that.

Yet 2020 has shown you that it’s time to think differently. To forget the rules. To pave a new path.

Meanwhile, there’s a voice inside that is still saying things like;

“Make this your BEST year yet.”

“THIS is my year.”

“It’s time to get _________________ (insert goal you constantly set yet fail to achieve year after year).”

So, with that being said, there’s some level of anxiety alongside the excitement. A touch of overwhelm as you stare at all the possibilities.

You need to find a happy middle ground.

Which is why I’m telling you to THINK SMALL this year.

You’re going to or have already set your BIG goals, be it within your heart or in your journal, now, leave them.

Start thinking about tiny tiny steps. Little things and ways of being that could completely change your life this year. Things so small we often overlook their power yet when given our attention could be the difference between feelings of inadequacy and success–regardless of whether you realize your goals or not over the next 12 months.

I just took a moment to look at my beautiful daughter hanging on her father’s leg. She looks back at me and smiles. She’s the perfect example of the power of little things. From a tiny group of cells, invisible to the eye, a human being grew at incredible speed over the course of 9 months. And since then, she has continued to grow little by little every single day resulting in an active 7 month old with a gummy smile and adventurous nature.

Little things do create the big things in life. And although I didn’t specify it before; BIG isn’t about superficial achievement. BIG is about what truly matters, soul fulfillment, lasting joy, growth, resilience.

If you’re feeling this message, start asking yourself:

WHAT LITTLE ACTION CAN I TAKE TODAY?

It could be consciously putting a smile on your face when you wake up in the morning. A daily smile could lead to you feeling more energized, positive, and happy. In turn leading you to show up for early morning workout sessions more often than you would have otherwise and reaching your fitness goals. Not to mention wrinkles in the right places!

You might want to improve your diet this year and instead of completely changing what’s in your pantry, you may start by placing your cutlery with care before each meal. Leading you to subtly feel more joy in preparing your food, eating more slowly, mindfully, and in turn you may start choosing food at the grocery store to match the way you set your cutlery.

You may want to revamp the website for your business. But instead of adding to your to-do list, you may start by choosing the 1 photo you want as your home image.

When you partner walks in from work you may decide to give them 2min of your undivided attention which aligns with your goal of creating a beautiful love story by practicing presence.

You may put the nice earrings each day and this may be the catalyst to slowly raising your head a little higher, speaking a little louder, and by the end of the year stepping into your shoes and walking this Earth as the proud human that you are.

There are countless of little tiny actions that could become game changers! Here are a few more ideas but the best will be the one that resonates and comes from you! 

• End your morning shower with 10sec (or 1min) of cold water!
• Put your cell phone away at a set time each night or keep it out of your bedroom.
• Fold your underwear with care.
• Look at name tags and call people that serve you by their first name; delivery person, receptionist, the teenager who has to ask everyone who walks into the grocery store if they have symptoms of COVID. Call them by their name.
• Opt for a documentary series aligned with your goals instead of dark and violent Netflix shows.
• Write the first page of your book. It may be bad, but not as bad as not writing it!
• Call your mom, dad, brother, sister, aunt, old friend.
• Breath deeply.
• Write down 1 thing that you are grateful each day. By the end of the year you will have 365 to read over.