Manifestival 2023! Creating your vision for a great year
- Chris Coraggio
- Jan 11, 2023
- 9 min read
Updated: Jan 12, 2023
Let me guess... you’re going to go to the gym more. You’re going to call your parents more. You’re going to start your gratitude journal. Well, let me tell you…Equinox, a luxury gym, does not believe you!
I’m skeptical too, gasp! (but Equinox...a little harsh!)
But why even bother thinking about the year ahead? Don’t listen to me…listen to Cordae, a Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist (here’s his TED talk): “Always be intentional with your desires - know exactly what you want…write down your goals, that is the 'hi-level' mindset."
I recently heard this brutal fact from Oliver Burkman on NPR’s Life Kit podcast: “When [the average lifespan is] actually averaged outcomes out to an astonishingly brief - dare I say even brutal? - 4,000 weeks.”
Um... that feels astonishingly small, and too small to live a life that we don’t really want; so start this year off by consciously working toward knowing what you want. Okay off my soapbox 🙂
Resolutions in (Depressing) Numbers
According to FranklinCovey, one-third of resolutioners don’t make it past the end of January (Forbes said “80% of New Year's resolutions fail” by the same time).
Forbes, in a different article, shared the top New Year’s resolutions are “about self-improvement (living healthier 23% of people, getting happy 21%, losing weight 20%, exercising 7%, stopping smoking 5%, reducing drinking 2%).
The kicker? “Despite their big plans though, only 8% of people will achieve their New Year’s resolutions,” according to the University of Scranton.
Why the abysmal numbers?
One reason is “They are created out of peer pressure based on an arbitrary date” (Forbes). A lot of us
do resolutions because we think we should do them...and we make resolutions that we think we should have - rather than doing what we really want.
But on the flip side, I’m actually a big believer in a trigger like the New Year to create possibility in our lives. From Vox: “The desire to set goals often comes on the heels of the start of a new week, month, year, semester, or birthday, dubbed the ‘fresh start effect.’ When the slate is wiped clean in any capacity, people feel more compelled to conquer a challenge.”
Ultimately, it is up to you if you want to engage in the ritual of thinking ahead for 2023 - just do it because YOU want to, and do it on your own terms. This post will give you some ideas on how to create a vision for the new year - for those who both loath and love structure.
...and...
Just beware - the other major reason people do not reach their resolutions is specificity - if we don’t have a way of determining clearly whether we did or did not meet the resolution, our brains will have nothing to anchor to, and the resolution will disappear into the whirlwind of our daily lives.
Differentiating Visioning Exercises
Before sharing some ideas on how to set a vision for the year ahead, let’s distinguish different ways of doing this (hint - there are many ways!).
You’ll see under the definition, I’d argue there are two ways to orient yourself - around the process, or around the outcome. The process is the ongoing and often repeated actions you want to take, versus the outcome is something you want to achieve - another way to think about it is that processes are inputs, and outcomes are outputs.
Here’s a non-exhaustive list of ways to vision:
Example of a vision board:
Process-oriented goals are really important because they get down to the nitty-gritty of the thoughts, behaviors and decisions you need to be making - how you live. Process goals ultimately make you more effective when you reach them, and are the building blocks to achieving outcome-oriented goals. They also allow you to think about your lifestyle, and are well-suited for thinking in the long-term.
The catch of process-oriented goals: They are really hard to measure and track progress, and are much harder to keep straight in your brain. The fix: use technology, like a habit tracker app or create structure and accountability to remind yourself of your process goal.
Outcome-oriented goals are important in your life to get what you want. We all have goals, big or small, that create challenges in our life. Whether it’s a savings goal, a body fat percentage, or getting that promotion, outcomes are clear and can be very motivating to up our performance.
The catch of outcome-oriented goals: Whether your goals are acquiring material possessions or achieving something, once attained, these will make you happy for only a brief time. We get used to this new level and then want more all over again. The fix: balance out your need for material/experience/achievement with process goals that touch on gratitude, relationships, spirituality and/or impact on others.
Designing Your Planning Process
Before you begin planning, create a process. There’s no right answer here - do what is actually productive for you. Know that both the exercise of thinking about what you want, in addition to creating specific plans, is helpful - being conscious of the why/what/how of your life is the best way to live the life you really want.
Ideas from Kirstie Castañeira Biehl, Friend and Colleague working in Healthcare Technology
I was lucky enough to catch a coffee with Kirstie in Mexico City in December, and she shared that
she and her husband did a reflection and planning session together for 2023 (#relationshipgoals!). I loved her ideas, and Kirstie was generous enough to share her process.
“I start my goal setting with a visualization of a ‘typical’ day 10 years from now. Asking questions like ‘what do I wake up to’, ‘what’s outside my window’, ‘how am I paying my bills’ and ‘what am I looking forward to that day’, which all help shape what I value now and what areas of growth I’m desiring in the future.”
So to comment really quick - Kirstie is visioning her life, and seeing it in the long-term first. In the language shared before, this emphasizes more process than outcome.
“Then I write 3-5 goals under categories such as health, relationships, career, adventure, and self-care while keeping in mind how these 1-year goals get me closer to the life I envisioned a decade from now. Typically a theme emerges from the list of goals created, and I love to choose a word, phrase, or quote that embodies the direction in which I want my year to go.”
I love this last part, which I found really unique. Kirstie finds a more meaningful way to capture the essence of the direction she’s taking her 2023. Not to mention, she is taking her long-term vision and figuring out what she needs to do this year to get herself on the right path.
“A critical part of this process is accountability. At every step of the goal-setting process, I pause for reflection and discussion with my partner to keep us both honest and, more importantly, dialed in to how we can best support one another. Additionally, I create a monthly calendar event to check in on my goals. Not only does this help me measure my progress, but it also allows me to reassess if these objectives still align with what I value.”
Kirstie shares 2 really important pieces of the new year’s resolutions pie - first, there needs to be specificity and accountability, and second, she is assessing continuously if the goals are meaningful to her.
From Gretchen Rubin, Author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before
“One thing I do every year is I make a 23 in 23 list. I’m gonna make a list of 23 things that I would really like to get done in 2023. Some of the things will be fun. Some of the things will be arduous…Another thing we do is pick a one-word theme for the year, and that’s also to…energize a certain kind of attitude or set of aims…
And then you start seeing how when things will fit into it. My word was ‘salt’ because I’m writing a book about the five senses, and salt is sim important, but salt, the more I thought about it, it had all these layers of meaning: preserving things, adding flavor and zest…so it’s finding the right amount of the things in my life, not too much, not too little. So it had all these metaphoric meanings and I found it to be very thought-provoking as I was going through all my aims.”
Notice the similarities here - both created 1-year goals (whether framed as a to-do or a lifestyle), and both figured out a thread to tie the year together.
From Me
Kirstie and Gretchen shared different processes, and you might be thinking for both, “well that’s a lot of work!”. No problemo! You can design whatever process makes sense for you.
Instead of a super formulaic process, I emphasized the below questions (also some suggested tasks), accompanied by a sample of my own planning. Click here if you want some guidance on how to do a reflection of the last year first, which I recommend you do!
What is going to make this year great?
What are concrete accomplishments you want to prioritize in your career or personal life?
Are there longer-term goals you are building towards? How will you build toward them this year?
What are moments you are looking forward to this year? Think about anchor points in the year, such as travel or special events.
How are you going to level up yourself and your life this year?
What do you want to learn and grow this year? What do you want to explore?
What would make life better this year?
Are there any new habits you want to develop?
What are the risks or concerns you want to plan for?
In what ways do you see now or in the near future threats to your or your loved ones' health, financial or job security, or other areas of well-being?
Are there any relationships you are concerned about?
What about the broader environment, economy, politics, etc. that could potentially impact you in certain ways?
What are the ways you are going to plan for risk and uncertainty?
How will you turn your vision into reality?
Put your key dates in your calendar now, both events like trips and special weekends, but also schedule check-ins with yourself, whether that be quarterly, monthly, or whatever you will keep up.
For your goals, break them down into key milestones throughout the year, maybe just 3 or 4 checkpoints to know you are making progress. Schedule those checkpoints, whether that be a savings goal, a target weight or a number of clients.
Thinking about the life you want to live and the habits you want to develop, you will want to picture what you want your typical week and day to look like. (more on habits in a later post)
Who will you share your plans with and how will you create accountability?
Who is important enough to you to share your plans? Who in your life is doing the same, so you can help each other?
How will you stay in touch about your goals with others?
What feedback do you want from them?
What kind of accountability structure (incentives and consequences) do you want to put in place that motivates you?
A few practices I’d recommend:
(I repeat:) Make sure you do a reflection from 2022 to learn, step back and come from a blanker slate.
Do whatever you can to make your 2023 vision simple, clear, and memorable (like Kirstie’s quote!). You want to internalize the vision so you can think about it easily without having to reference a complicated document.
On this point, personally, I do more planning than I actually intend - then I simplify by prioritizing what is most important to me. Don’t try to perfect your plan on the first go.
After you put together your plan - leave it alone for a day or 2, and come back. After reviewing it, how do you feel? Hopefully, you are excited and clear about what is ahead.
In case you’d like, here is a link to my planning for 2023.
In Closing...
Whatever you do, just give yourself time to think. The pandemic woke us up to how we were sleepwalking all the way to burnout and lifestyles that weren’t making us happy and were affecting our physical and mental well-being. It’s up to us to design the future that we want.
I hope you feel optimistic and positive about what is ahead for you - let’s make 2023 another great year. If you want to talk about it, I’m more than happy to chat! Reach out to chris.coraggio@gmail.com. I’m still not charging :)
For Learning and With Love,
Chris
Resources:
New York Times Article, How to Make (And Keep) A New Years Resolution
Forbes Article, 4 Reasons to Make New Years Resolutions
Vox Article, In Search of an Attainable New Years Resolution
Forbes Article, This Year Set Goals, Not Resolutions
TED’s How to be a Better Human Podcast Series, You Can Do Better Than a New Year’s Resolution
TED Talk by Cordae: How a Hi-Level Mindset Helps You Reach Your Potential
NPR Lifekit Podcast: How to Rethink What You Spend Your Time - And Life - Doing
Oprah Daily: How to Make a Vision Board or Manifestation
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