Annual goal setting is such a prevalent practice in the modern age. Westerners, especially Americans, pride themselves on their lofty ambitions, having a strong work ethic, being highly productive, building wealth and achieving success. And goal setting tends to be the starting point for all of this busyness.
You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.
~ Maya Angelou
SMART Goals
For the majority, annual goals tend to be either too generic or too specific. When a goal is too vague, it's not SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Trackable). These general goals tend to fail because they lack definitions, timelines and plans with actionable steps. When a goal is too well-defined, people get attached to a certain outcome and don't create space to allow something even better to manifest.
If you have a goal, write it down. If you do not write it down, you don't have a goal, you have a wish.
~ Steve Maraboli
Not everyone writes down their goals, but the ones who do make lists that tend to be a combination of both repeated and refreshed intentions. Common goals most people set every January include more money, better health and good relationships. If people already have their basic needs met, they can indulge in setting more personal or bigger goals that will fulfill their heart's desires.
People tend to rewrite the same goals each year. Sometimes this is because they still haven't achieved them. They failed because they don't know how, they didn't make a plan, they didn't do the work or they don't have what they need to achieve their goals. So, they just keep writing the same ones down.
Other people rewrite the same goals year after year because they don't stop to review, reflect and re-evaluate. They're not checking in with themselves to see if they still need, value or even desire achieving their goals. They haven't given themselves permission to release their need to achieve old dreams and desires.
It's ok to take goals you've set in the past off your list this year. Your annual goals should be focused on what you'd like to create in the coming year. Let go of goals that aren't aligned with the present you and what's happening now in your current life.
Often, the goals people set are not even their own. Many model their goal setting after people they like, admire or envy, experts they trust, or rich or successful people they'd like to emulate. They might even adopt these influencers' personal or business goals as their own, in an attempt to buy a life they see someone else living out load on social media highlight reels.
People like to give advice based on what worked for them or what they think is the best way. The truth is, only you know what will work best for you. For example: Setting a goal to batch social media content, because the marketing gurus say that's the best way to be highly productive and utilize your time wisely, won't honor the authentic self-expression of someone who posts when they feel inspired or has something important to say. Maybe the key to your success is not high visibility or reliable consistency. Maybe it's not content created weeks or months in advance. Maybe it's a post or video you make spontaneously in the moment when you're speaking from your heart.
To live a fulfilled life, we need to keep creating the "what is next", of our lives. Without dreams and goals there is no living, only merely existing, and that is not why we are here.
~ Mark Twain
Goal lists, full of lofty dreams and personal desires, read more like a wish list. There's nothing wrong with making a wish list. But to accomplish your goals, they have to be doable. You have to know what actions to take and have the ability to take those steps toward your goal, in order to succeed.
A vital part of the goal setting process is evaluating and prioritizing your list. While writing your goals, be honest with yourself. Make sure that each of your goals meets the following criteria: it's your own goal, it's a current goal and it's an actionable goal. Determine if your goals are even worthy of your time and energy. Decide if what you'd have to do to accomplish your goals is possible and aligns with your values. Finally, rank them in importance so you know where to begin.
If you're frustrated with goal setting or have given it up altogether, try taking a different approach this year. Use a personalized method of setting goals for yourself that honors who you really are. Not who you think you are or even who you wish your were, but who you are on the energetic levels.
Each of The 8 Elements have essential needs and highest values that are unique to their personal element. So, instead of copying other people's lists of goals into your journal or typing them into your Notes or Notion app, set goals that will actually meet your specific needs and honor your personal values. Set goals for YOU!
If you know your personal feng shui element, you'll be able to take your personal energy into consideration during the goal setting process. You'll be able to set intentions based on what provides the most high vibe emotions, personal fulfillment and inner happiness. And you'll be able to set yourself up for success instead of more failure.
There are three main aspects to annual goal setting for The 8 Elements. The first is having an awareness of the potential effects the annual energy may have on your personal element and what that dynamic may or may not support you in. The second is the energy visiting your four Best Directions, affecting your Wealth & Success, Health & Wellbeing, Relationship Harmony and Self Knowledge & Wisdom. Both of these shift and change year to year.
The third aspect of goal setting is your Life Center. This one never changes. It's a constant in your life and should be one of the primary goals you're setting every year. This is because your personal feng shui element's Life Center is what brings you the most wellbeing.
In this blog, I will be sharing the one goal you can set for yourself in 2023, even if you don't know anything about your personal element, your best directions or the annual Soft Wood energy.
Water
Your Life Center is Career & Life Path. Each year, set a new goal related to advancing in your career or moving further along your life path. Depending on where you are in life, this could look like:
• Having clarity about your life purpose or soul's mission.
• Choosing a career or vocation.
• Studying, mastering and becoming an expert in something you'd like to do or contribute.
• Getting a degree, license or certification in your industry, field of study or area of interest/expertise.
• Getting a job.
• Getting a promotion at your job.
• Asking for a raise.
• Starting your own business.
• Finding ways to contribute to more people.
• Increasing your monthly income from your work.
Mother Earth
Your Life Center is Love & Partnership. Each year, set a new goal related to showing yourself love and strengthening your partnerships. Depending on where you are in life, this could look like:
• Discovering your love language and speaking that language to yourself.
• Committing to loving yourself through self-partnership.
• Practicing self-love.
• Doing what you love.
• Creating a life (and business) you love.
• Taking a lover.
• Engaging in a long term monogamous relationship.
• Finding a life partner.
• Finding a business partner.
• Working on your marriage or committed relationship.
• Becoming a better partner to your beloved.
• Developing strong partnerships with the people you love and who love you.
• Spending 1:1 time with the people in your life - parents, partner, children, friends, co-workers.
Hard Wood
Your Life Center is Health & Family. Each year, set a new goal related to improving your physical health and emotional wellbeing and strengthening your family relationships. Depending on where you are in life, this could look like:
• Finding health practitioners that can help you restore or maintain your health.
• Learning how to heal yourself.
• Eating healthy foods.
• Living a healthy lifestyle.
• Processing and releasing your emotions in healthy ways.
• Working in the health field or healing arts.
• Spending time with your family.
• Working on having healthy family relationships.
• Choosing a lifestyle that allows you to be family centered.
• Going into business with your family.
• Owning or operating a family business.
Soft Wood
Your Life Center is Wealth & Prosperity. Each year, set a new goal related to building wealth to last a lifetime, leaving a legacy and living a prosperous life. Depending on where you are in life, this could look like:
• Saving your money.
• Letting your money work for you by investing it.
• Managing your money through financial planning.
• Having more than enough money so that you can provide well for your family.
• Starting your own business.
• Building a successful business that is profitable.
• Investing profits back into your thriving business.
• Growing a flourishing business.
• Leaving an inheritance for your children and grandchildren.
• Prospering in every area of life.
Hard Metal
Your Life Center is Helpful People & Travel. Each year, set a new goal related to helping others and seeing the great cities and beautiful places of the world. Depending on where you are in life, this could look like:
• Donating your time or money.
• Volunteering your expert skills or professional services.
• Working pro bono or for a non-profit organization.
• Establishing a foundation or charity.
• Funding a scholarship program or endowment.
• Getting a degree and starting a career that allows you to give advice for a living.
• Being a guidance counselor.
• Becoming a mentor.
• Taking a job that requires you to travel for work.
• Working in the travel industry.
• Going on road trips.
• Living the digital nomad life.
• Living internationally.
• Planning and taking trips or vacations every year.
Soft Metal
Your Life Center is Children & Creativity. Each year, set a new goal related to being a kid at heart and expressing your creativity. Depending on where you are in life, this could look like:
• Being in awe of life and curious about the wonders of the world.
• Having a childlike approach to life.
• Going on playdates.
• Prioritizing having FUN with friends!
• Playing dress up, make believe or role play games.
• Exploring your imagination through reading or telling stories.
• Taking or teaching art or music classes.
• Using your creativity to make art.
• Expressing yourself through creative projects.
Mountain Earth
Your Life Center is Spirituality & Self Knowledge. Each year, set a new goal related to your spiritual growth and personal development. Depending on where you are in life, this could look like:
• Expanding your spiritual awareness.
• Educating yourself about what it is to be a soul in a body.
• Reading ancient texts.
• Studying the world religions that interest you.
• Attending religious services or spiritual retreats.
• Having a meditation practice.
• Learning a physical discipline like yoga, qigong or martial arts.
• Empowering yourself with knowledge.
• Reading self-help books.
• Investing the time and energy into knowing yourself.
• Devoting yourself to self improvement.
• Becoming a spiritual teacher or guide.
Fire
Your Life Center is Fame & Fortune. Each year, set a new goal related to lifting your reputation and receiving blessings. Depending on where you are in life, this could look like:
• Being intentional about what you'd like to be known for.
• Getting your 15 minutes of fame or time to shine in the spotlight.
• Having notoriety in your industry or company.
• Being a celebrity in your own town or hometown.
• Receiving well deserved recognition for your good work in the world.
• Having your service to your community or humanity publicly acknowledged.
• Standing for the applause, taking a bow, receive an award and giving an acceptance speech.
• Asking for and receiving expressions of appreciation.
• Enjoying a series of fortunate events in your life.
• Having a small (or large) fortune.
• Feeling blessed.
If you'd like some personalized guidance with setting goals for the coming new year, contact me to book your 2023 Intention Setting session. You'll receive a 2023 Guide to Setting Goals, customized for your personal feng shui element. In a private coaching session, we'll talk about how to set intentions that will meet your needs and honor your values. I'll share how the Soft Wood energy may affect you, your life and your annual goals this year. And I'll provide insights into the annual energy visiting your personal element's best directions and how it may affect those four key areas of your life.
2023 Intention Setting Session
• 2023 Annual Intention Setting Guide (PDF customized for your personal element)
• Private Coaching (1 hour session)
$150
CONTACT DARA
If you’d like to learn about how to honor and balance your personal energy and customize your goals, based your personal feng shui element, read about my signature coaching package, Feng Shui Yourself.
Read the other blogs in the Annual Review & Planning series:
Getting to Know YOU!
Getting Clarity on Your Goals
Getting to Happy
☯
For personal energy or relationship dynamics coaching, contact me!
Or, read about my coaching packages.
If you’re ready to get professionally feng shui’d, read about Virtual Feng Shui Consultations.
To read more about The 8 Elements, subscribe to the Feng Shui Yourself blog.
Learn about my other Inner Chi Mastery offerings.
Subscribe to Feng Shui Yourself on Substack.
If you enjoyed this publication, please like, comment and share!
