The workshop this weekend on setting an intentional theme for 201o was so much fun! It is amazing to see women tap into their innate inspiration and have that “kerchunk” moment when they connect to their theme. All of the women showed up so authentically, I was delighted to witness it and be a part of it. I can’t wait to see where their themes take them this year.
So once we have these great themes, how do we make them “stick”? How do we take that theme and turn it into something special over the course of the year? The great thing about a theme is that if it is the “right” theme for us, it sort of naturally sticks (meaning you think about it often). But it can definitely be sort of a “now what?” moment once you have a theme. There are some really fun, easy ways to get more mileage out of your theme and ways to approach using it.
Make your theme your mantra
Once I have a good theme, I will put it up on super cute sticky notes in places I will see on a very regular basis (on computer, in car, bathroom mirror, etc.). This serves as a great starting point for the theme to become a mantra – a phrase that pops into my head in all sorts of situations and encourages me to act or respond in different ways. My theme this year is lean in. Already, I am seeing my theme work it’s magic.
Two weeks ago, when Clara was home on holiday and I needed to get some work done, instead of doing the habitual thing which is get sort of frustrated that I’m not getting enough done, my theme popped into my head, and I took some time to sit with the situation, my feelings about it, and mull over how it could be approached differently. I leaned into the reality of the situation. Eventually, I planned a light-ish work week, and talked to Clara about my needs and her needs. She was incredibly cooperative and excited to be in on the decision. I ended up getting more done than I thought I would, and everyone was happy.
Take Action
Really great themes apply to all areas of our life, which is what makes them such a well-designed alternative to traditional goal setting. However, change does require action. What are five actions that you want to take this year related to your theme? For me, the top five actions I want to take this year related to leaning in are:
- Taking excellent care of myself through regular exercise and fueling my body
- Consistent time off of my computer to devote to family
- Offer four successful telecourses
- Speak at four different local organizations
- Get cozy with putting myself “out there” as far as my coaching practice
Did you realize that if you spend just 10 minutes a day doing any given action, you will have spent SIXTY hours by the end of the year? Even with limited time, you can make big changes by taking small, focused actions every day.
Compassionate Assessment
If you don’t already have a habit of regularly evaluating what you’ve been doing and where you are going, you might want to think about setting regular dates with yourself to do so. I check-in with my calendar and to-do lists each week, on my admin day (Sunday). It doesn’t take as long as you might imagine – I spend about an hour a week looking at the previous week, assessing my actions for the week, planning meals and exercise, and updating both my business and family finances at Spend On Purpose (which I just LOVE!!) Yes, it’s an extra hour of time, but it helps me to focus my energy and get way more done.
In addition to a weekly check-in with myself, I also like to check in monthly. This is more of a journal-style check in, where I answer the questions from my All-Purpose Review tool, and then I have a more thorough evaluation and check-in to vision the next three months.
Other fun ways to work with your intention
If you aren’t really in to planning (I’m sort of a geek about it), you might want to send yourself supportive, regular emails via Future Me to stay motivated and stick with your theme and your actions for this year. You can also create a vision board – either paper or online (I create mine on Squidoo) to visually map out your theme for the year. Something else fun that I’ve heard people doing this year is choosing a theme song. Is there a song that you love, that excites you, that really gets at the heart of who you want to be this time, next year? Listen to it often, put it on a playlist, and stay motivated to make change a reality for 2010.
Have you found your theme for 2010?
If you have any questions you would like answered here, or if you are feeling confused and overwhelmed by the whole process of themes and making all the pieces of your life hang together the way you really want them to, you can always contact me, or sign up for my eZine (over to the right) to get regular inspiration and well-designed solutions delivered right to your inbox.
Photo courtesy of The Real Darren Stone via Flickr under a Creative Commons License.
