Contributed by Patricia Sanchez Lee
A new year brings the promise of a new you, the chance to reinvent yourself if you wish. Now that 2019 is upon us, it’s time to think beyond the usual routine of making new year’s resolutions and instead focus on new year’s goals. A resolution, like a promise, is easy to make and, as we all know, just as easy to break. A goal, on the other hand, is an objective, something to focus on achieving, attaining, and, if you’re lucky, surpassing. A goal motivates and drives you forward. A goal also offers the chance to inspire yourself — and maybe others, as well.
So what are your goals for 2019? Think about how you want to do better in your personal and professional life. What will make you happy and feel like you’re the best version of yourself you can be?
Perhaps you’re aiming to be healthier. Use that as inspiration to invite friends to join you for cooking classes, weekly walks, hikes, yoga sessions, or bike rides. Because getting healthier can be fun — and social. Maybe one of your goals is to be more creative. Let that inspire you to sign up for an art or writing class. Learning how to manage stress and relaxing could inspire you to start meditating. Maybe learning a new language will inspire you to travel so you can practice what you’ve learned. Or you can re-energize yourself, so you are once again the professional go-getter you set out to be. You might even be inspired to make a bigger change — it’s never too late to change a job or career and find that position that will fulfill you.
Once you start setting goals for yourself, you’ll find inspiration is all around you. Finding motivation to achieve goals you have for 2019 is a win-win situation, without the pressure of trying to maintain resolutions throughout the whole year. The more you meet your goals, however big or small, the more others will seem within reach. The more your friends, family, and colleagues see you meet your personal and professional goals, the more they’ll be inspired to set and reach their own. Inspiring others while inspiring yourself is a great way to spend 2019.
What goals have you set for yourself this year? Share with us below how you plan to find your inspiration in 2019.
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By day Patricia Sanchez Lee is a writer, editor, and photo curator for HGTV.com. By night (OK, mostly her free time) she is a photographer, aspiring novelist, and blogger. An often-accidental remodeler (hello, pinhole tub leak!), she maintains a laundry list of remodeling and organizational projects for her 1969 ranch house that she works on during her free time. Her house is full of her photography, her husband’s and daughter’s original artwork, her son’s toys, and built-in bookcases overflowing with books.
