This is the time of year that so many of us are setting goals and we are hearing so much about how to set them up, how to write them. Tons of advice is popping up all over the Internet.
I have to admit I am a goal setter. I like to plan things out. I like to set up challenges for myself and check things off that I have accomplished.
But a lot of things changed for me after my daughter died and goals were certainly one of them. Learning to create goals that are bigger than your past circumstances can be difficult.
Let me explain.
After her death nothing felt peaceful, happy or normal. In fact life felt out of control, like I was a stranger in my own life. Life felt heavy and I felt like a victim. At that point I had given away my power to create more than my circumstance.
Once I realized I was the cause of whatever would be and not a victim in my life, I could take control. I could start with small steps.
It’s the small steps that begin the journey to create more than your past.
I started to make goals. Not big goals because I was coming from a place based on my current circumstances. What I knew.
But my current circumstances where my history. I had no idea that I could achieve something that was by far greater than when my daughter passed away. That I could create more than what had been lost!
I started with goals like,
- 10 min. to journal everyday.
- 10 minutes in nature.
- Time to meditate.
- Exercise 15 minutes.
- Write and read affirmations like, “I forgive myself.” “I am ____fill in the blank (loving, kind, at peace, happy), I choose to make the rest of my life the best of my life (Louise Hay).
You see these goals were small but they helped me to get my power back. These simple goals helped me to understand I had the power to create my best life.
It’s from this point you are able to create goals that are bigger than your past.
It’s tempting to set a goal you think you can achieve based on your current situation and circumstances. But, circumstances are nothing more then your history and lessons in life. They are not your destiny or fate.
There is something in you that is far greater than your past circumstances or the circumstances that you are facing now.
I know that for many people who have suffered a loss in there life, be it a serious illness, loss of innocence, or like us the death of a child or husband, that to have a life far greater then the life they have now or the life they had prior to the loss may feel impossible.
Even our suggestion of it may stir feelings of anger, guilt, feel cruel, or create a flood of tears. But we know that you have within you the power to choose your life no matter what the past circumstances have been and we wish nothing less for you than a life filled with love, peace, joy, passion and happiness.
We are here to help you live your best life, your life without limits.
We would love to help you on your journey with a complimentary copy of our Journal Of Discovery. To help you discover inquire and reveal your living journey. Put your name and email in at the top of this page and we will send it to your inbox today.
To Your Life Without Limits,
Elena & Jean
P.S. We would love to here your thoughts. Leave us a comment below and share them with us. As always please feel free to share this post with your family and friends.
Thanks so much for sharing, Jeanmarie. Your tips are simple enough that anyone could do. Love what your wrote: “There is something in you that is far greater than your past circumstances or the circumstances that you are facing now.” God bless.
Thanks Alexandra I am glad it resonated.
I think we should give more importance to “time to meditate”, because this helps us to clarify what we want to do and what we think that makes us happy!
I agree Meire. For me meditation has been a great help in providing clarity.
Small steps really do work, especially when you are recovering from a loss of any kind. I love how you frame making goals that are bigger than your past…that is a great visual.
Thanks Sherie. I agree sometimes it’s just getting started that gives you the power to believe something greater is in your future.
Your comments about creating more than our current circumstances has really got me thinking. Anything is possible, right? When I was growing up, my Dad always told me that, but somewhere along the way I got side-tracked. I am definitely going to be more mindful of my own self-empowered path in 2013 and set some goals to support that. Thanks so much for your wisdom Jeanmarie.
Your welcome Becci. I think we all get a little side tracked at times. It’s amazing though how the daily steps add up. 2013 is going to be your best year yet!
LOVE this statement; “There is something in you that is far greater than your past circumstances or the circumstances that you are facing now.” Amen!
True statement! Thank you Carl.
I love the simplicity of the goals you are using as examples, Jean. Makes it more motivating, encouraging, and in the end likely that you can accomplish them
Thanks for the article!
Your welcome. Yes sometimes we forget it’s the the simple goals that can add up to being huge differences 6 or 12 months from now.
Good advice! Journaling is a fantastic way to tap into thoughts we can’t organize or access without writing. There is a different process that happens in our brains when we write.
It is so true. That’s why writing can bring such clarity.
Excellent advice Jean. Even though we all want it to change over night, it is definitely the little steps that we take that move us forward on our journey and into our goals and desires.
Thanks Diane Marie.
Jeanmarie – I too am a goal setter. After my first year of hitting every goal I put out for myself … I always put in reach goals for me. To this day it amazes me the mountains I can move by simply writing down what I want to accomplish. Loves the article! Debbi
Thanks Debbi. It is so true such a simple step can make a huge change in our lives.
Incredibly POWER-full blog post, Jean! You are such an inspiration!
I thank God that I moved beyond my past. I had at least a million excuses to not succeed and become “another statistic.” Growing up in a home riddled with violence, alcohol abuse, and neglect could have stopped me from moving forward, getting a full scholarship to the university I wanted to attend, and achieve more in my career than I believed was possible. Losing my husband at the age of 27 could have stopped me from believing I would ever experience love again and creating the beautiful, loving marriage and family I now enjoy. Our past is just our history. And our history — every bit of it — can be used to empower and propel us into living a life without limits and experiencing everything our hearts desire!
Thank you Gladys. You are an inspiration yourself! You are a perfect example that our past does not determine our future. We all get the choice to create the life of our dreams, to live a life without limits!