I’m assuming that you’ve completed your inventory by now.  That’s an important step. It should also show you the importance of keeping a diary/journal on at least a weekly basis.

You can use the Gratitude Journal for that purpose and get the benefits of expressing gratitude as well.

Before you start making your list, I want you to think about what different words mean to you.

What is your immediate EMOTIONAL reaction to the following words:

“Goals”

“Resolutions”

“Desires”

“Accomplishment”

Here are some dictionary definitions:

“Resolution” – a decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner; A course of action determined or decided on. But interestingly from the Latin it means “to loosen or dissolve again”.

“Goal” – The purpose toward which an endeavor is directed; an objective.

“Desire” – to express a wish or make a request for; ask for.  Feel or have a desire for; want strongly;  The feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state.

“Accomplishment”  – Something completed successfully; an achievement.

Why does this matter? Why did I want you to note your first EMOTIONAL response? Because we are subject to our emotions more than anything. If your subconscious mind has a bad image of one of these words, you will repel it. For example, I cringe at the phrase “New Year’s Resolutions”. I don’t know why but the word “resolve” to me indicates despair and something I “have” to do.  So it’s a word I avoid. “Goals” doesn’t do much better for me but “desires” is something I really latch on to. What does that translate to? Well, I go about making a list of my desires a whole lot more enthusiastically than I do making a list of either “goals” or “resolutions”.  I think I also look at “goals” as a pass/fail system. Even if I get close to my goal, I haven’t actually achieved it so I’ve failed.  Whether or not it’s logical or reasonable doesn’t make any difference. My subconscious mind is not really about being logical or reasonable. It’s whatever I’ve programmed into it over these years. So I’ve learned not to make a list of goals but to make a list of desires. I also really like the word “accomplishment” so my list title will probably be “2012 Accomplishments“.

Maybe you want to use “successes” or “achievements” or something else. If we don’t set this process up correctly, it will be like many other years and another 12 months will go by without accomplishing what you want.

So, your first job today is to determine what you’re going to call this list!

Once you’ve done that, list 50-100 things. Just scribble them down (not like my scribble that you won’t be able to read again) in any order you want. The point is to get your mind working toward what you want. Let your imagination and your deep seated desires come out.

That’s it for today. Make that list and put it aside – to “marinate” so to speak. Then stay tuned for tomorrow’s step in this process. If you’ve finished your list of 50-100 things, then go back and work more on your inventory. Sometimes, putting down the things you want to achieve will help you remember more about where you’ve been this past year.

Terrie