I absolutely love the newness that comes with the New Year. I also love making plans and setting goals. What I don’t like is making New Year’s resolutions. Like so many others, I have tried and failed at New Year’s resolutions (case in point: my gratitude journal fail). My attempts at setting resolutions, have become, well…uh…discouraging.
Thankfully, I’ve found a set of practices that really propel my year and set me up for success. I’m sharing these with you in the event that they might help you too.
Tweet ThisA better alternative to New Year’s Resolutions
Here are three things that I will be doing to plan and prepare for a fulfilling and successful year.
- One Word
Rather than create a long list of things I want to do for the year or promises that I can’t keep, this is what I do instead. I choose one word that will sum up what I want to focus on, who I want to be or how I want to live. I highly recommend committing this process to prayer. Ask God where he is leading you and what he wishes to show you.
Your one word may not come to you when you expect it but it will come. Think about what God has been putting on your heart again and again. Your one word might be with you already, just pray, pay attention and listen.
To get you thinking, here are some words that others have chosen as their One Word.
There are many resources online to help you with your one word. I like One Word 365 where you can connect with others who share your one word in order to receive encouragement and support.
- Vision Board
Once I have my one word, I then set out to make my one word come alive by creating a vision board. I’m a very visual person and if you are too, you will also find this useful.
I choose a theme scripture to go along with my one word and use this as my springboard for creativity.
I focus on my roles and my relationships and I try to imagine what I’d like to see in these areas of my life in the upcoming year. I pay special attention to my relationship with God, my husband, my children, my family and friends, and those who don’t yet know Jesus.
Take a look at my most recent one word vision board. Can you tell what my one word is?
- Grace Goals*
This is a brand new resource that I will be adding to my New Year routine this year. Grace Goals is a revolutionary way to approach change. Using the downloadable book and goal setting worksheets, I will create my personal plan for the year.  I love that it focuses on God’s grace to help me accomplish the things he’s put on my heart. No more self-reliance and will power. Instead I have God’s power as my source of inspiration, motivation and strength.
If you’d like to join me on the Grace Goals journey, you can purchase a copy of the book and printable bundle using this link.Â
So, there you have it. Three strategies to kick off your New Year with an amazing start!
1. One-word
2. Vision board
3. Grace goals
Your turn:
How do you approach the New Year? Do you set New Year’s resolutions? One word? Goals?
Did you guess what my one word is? What about you, what will your one word be?
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* I am an affiliate for Grace Goals. If you choose to purchase using my link, you get a revolutionary way to plan your New Year and a bonus from me, and I get a commission. That way we all win! Thank you.Â
I love your strategies! 🙂 I picked up Grace Goals, too, and I look forward to working through it. Thanks so much for linking with us at Grace & Truth!
Thanks for your kind words, Jennifer. I always enjoy meeting friends from Grace & Truth. So glad you’ll be doing Grace Goals as well, I’m sure we’ll meet again in the Facebook group there. Wishing you the best for the Christmas holidays.
Wonderful ideas, Marva! I like your unique way of revolving your vision board around your one word. I have no doubt you will be very successful next year!
Thanks so much, Monica, you’re too kind. I loved your vision board idea as well. Please stop by again and let me know how your 2016 board turns out. Wishing you every success for the New Year and beyond!
Very nice! I also am not a fan of resolutions. It does feel like starting the year off with failing or possibility to fail. I like to just focus on what I did do- even if it was different from my original plan, as long as it was positive, why not be proud of it!
I like that, Shannon. Let’s focus on being proud of our accomplishments no matter how small the might be! Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a brilliant New Year.
I love this idea so much! It’s so simple and wonderful I look forward to being part of it soon. 😊
I’m so glad you liked it! Wishing you the very best for the holidays and all your New Year dreams. Thanks for stopping by!
I’ve heard the “one word” before and although I’ve never tried it, I think it’s a good way to go. Seems more forgiving than a resolution you’ll break in a week and feel bad about.
#SHINEbloghop
Hi Jenny, I really appreciate that you stopped by; it seems I missed your comment during the holiday bustle :-(. Hope it’s not too late to wish you a very happy New Year! May you shine brightly in 2016.
I agree, resolutions often feel weighty. Last year I set one, pretty simple and open ended – “read more books” – and that worked really well. I’ve been thinking about the one word concept for next year. Thanks you for sharing this, you definitely got me thinking! 🙂
Hi Katie, how sweet of you to stop by and leave a comment. I love doing one word and can’t wait to see which word God will lead me to next. Glad I could get your wheels turning. 🙂 Peace and blessings.
This is wonderful advice. I’m pondering my 2016 and really love your grace-filled thoughts.
Thanks for your kind words, Michele. I look forward to your faithful visits and your warm encouragement. You are such a blessing! I pray God continues to lead you in his path of righteousness in 2016!
Hi Marva, I so wanted to read this. Your title got me! I am posting something similar on Monday. I hope you visit and read it.
Thank you for Grace Goals…..I like the perspective.
Blessings to you Marva.
Thanks, Ifeoma…I guess my catchy title worked. 😉 I’d love to read yours on Monday and I’m looking forward to it already. Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting on the Facebook page as well. Wishing you many blessings for the Christmas holidays and beyond!
Thanks Marva for your usual encouragement. I have enjoyed using both the ‘one word’ and the ‘vision board’ and really look forward to using Grace Goals this year.
Hi Carlie, I’m glad we’ll be walking this road together. I’d love to hear how your plans come along with Grace Goals so please keep me posted. Wishing you blessings for the Christmas holidays and well into the New Year!
What a perfect alternative to new year’s resolutions, Marva! The one word concept has been something I’ve been meaning to try (I’ve made and failed at plenty of resolutions and am not a big fan of them either…) and these suggestions on how to fulfill it–mood board, goal setting–is just what I needed to get me started for the next year!
Thanks so much for sharing this on #SHINEbloghop. It’s so great for you to join us this week!
Hi Maria, I truly hope that your goal-setting for 2016 will be successful! Finding what works has really helped me get past feeling defeated and I pray that will be the case for you. Sending you blessings! Oh, and I’ve been enjoying the #SHINEbloghop and so glad you’re now a part of that great team.
This is perfect! I feel like resolutions are just easily broken but these ideas are things that can last for the whole year!
So glad you liked them, Susannah. Here’s to a whole year of achievable goals! 🙂 Blessings, dear friend.
Good encouragement here, Marva. I like what you do with your one word. I haven’t really thought about mine for this year, but you’ve encouraged me to start praying. pinning and tweeting today!
Betsy, you’re such a blessing to me. I pray that God will make your one word crystal clear and that it leads you to your best year ever. All to His glory, my friend!
hi – are you sure you’re not a life coach?? (: great post! next to you at rara. BTW, I have an easier gratitude journal I can show you on welcomeheart.com – check out the sisterhood of the traveling pillows. I’m sure I could send one to BVI!
blessings on your sparkle day,
sue@welcomeheart.com
Thanks, Sue, you’re too kind. That travelling pilow sounds like a great idea! So glad we found each other on the #RaRaLinkup. Hope to connect more soon.