Grandiose plans for the future put a lot of pressure on us. When we fail to achieve what we want, we blame and blame ourselves for it. This happens because we think too globally and set goals for the long term. Instead, it's worth trying a different approach, such as using the theme of the month.
This is a small and understandable goal for a month. It can be part of a global plan, say, to improve physical and mental health, or a separate task.
For example, instead of the absolute goal of "losing weight", the theme of the month may be the goal of "cooking more at home". Or, if you want to work on your emotional state during the year, the goal of one month may be to perform daily exercises to develop mindfulness.
The main thing is to choose simple, small and feasible tasks, and not vague ambitious goals.
Far—reaching plans, for example for a year or five years , are too big and serious a task, because you need to decide what you want for this whole long period, and it can be difficult. Your life can change dramatically in just a few months, and this will make the long-term goals that you have set unattainable. The theme of the month is designed for a short period of time, so it's easy to choose it, and it's not so scary to implement it.
Changes are almost the only thing that will definitely happen in our lives forever. The theme of the month allows you to be flexible and adapt to changes. Even if something goes wrong and you can't handle the March theme, you can always come back to it in a few months and make it the July theme. Or, if you write down all the topics in advance, but you can't come up with a topic for November, you can leave a gap and define it later when this month gets closer.
To add even more flexibility, you can analyze the topic of the month once a week and adjust it if necessary. Let's say your goal is to go on dates more often. But if by the middle of the month you are already exhausted and feel that you need a break, change your plans. For example, correspond with a person for longer, instead of meeting in person right away.
When you choose a new topic every month and adjust it regularly depending on the circumstances, your goals remain fresh and interesting. You are unlikely to get tired of working on their achievement if they change every 12 months.
Moreover, when you reach a short-term goal, you feel more successful. This helps you confidently move towards new goals and come up with tasks that you would not even have tried before.
Look at your calendar for the year and think about what important life events or difficulties you may face in different months. Then write down what will help you cope in such moments. For example, if you are most busy with work in April, his topic may be rest.
Another way to come up with a topic of the month is to analyze what you would like to do more often and what less often. Let's say you want to spend more time with your loved ones. Then you can choose several goals related to family and friends. For example, the theme of March is to make a reunion, when you communicate more often with friends who have left the world, and the theme of April is intimacy, when you focus on a romantic relationship with a partner.Try to evaluate the past year: what was good and what went completely wrong. And use the results as starting points to search for topics. For example, if you have often experienced anxiety, then you can think about topics such as psychotherapy, mastering soothing techniques, listening to podcasts or reading books about mental health.
Check regularly how the process is going. For example, add a reminder to your calendar to devote five minutes to analysis every two weeks. Ask yourself what is going well and what is not, and how else you can work with the topic next week.
Ask a friend, partner, or family member to become a kind of observer and watch how you "reveal" your topic. Another effective way is to find literature or podcasts on the topic of the month. This will allow you to learn more about her and not lose sight of her.
The theme of the month is individual and very personal, so there is no right or wrong way to work with it. It is convenient for someone to write down all the topics for the year ahead, while someone prefers to choose one at the end of each month. Do as you feel comfortable and create your own themes at any convenient moment, whether it's your birthday or a random day in March.
At the same time, it is not necessary to choose topics that change life globally. Try to devote time to what you want to develop, what seems important and viable to you. It will be much easier for you to follow your theme of the month if you are happy to work on it.
And if this approach disappoints you, you can always return to more familiar ways of setting goals.