Discover practical strategies to set and achieve your goals anytime. From limiting screen time to building a vision board, learn how to transform your life step-by-step.

For as long as I can remember, I have been living a life without plans. Probably, I was living a life that was inherited from my father, mother, siblings, friends, acquaintances or environment. After years of not succeeding, I decided that I needed to chart a new course, something more profitable and satisfying. This new way is a learning from my life of five decades. After all, we all view success and life differently as we develop our individual ideas and preferences.

The internet has changed our lives tremendously. Things once valued, have long dissipated into nothingness. Therefore, a change is needed to bring out the new you, someone adaptive to the new world. Taking the first step, with some help from the #BlogchatterWrapupParty, I penned my creative and personal goals.

Going by the body, mind, spirit principle, I planned the goals to be physically active, mentally stable and energetically charged. The steps to achievement actually begin from within. A sound energetic body and mind can achieve all that they set out to do. Good health, happy mind, strong spirit, that’s what my vision is to make my mission a rewarding one, along with work-life balance.

I have broken each of my goals into a process. It is a step-by-step method for achieving the goals with a holistic approach. I looked at the goal with which I could begin easily, without much thought. All good habits are an outcome of small, but regular steps. They have to become like breathing, an automated process.

body

My goals begin with ‘limit screen time’ and ‘lose weight’.

I needed to stop mindless scrolling, control FOMO and not waste my precious time and energy on things which didn’t yield expected results.

I stopped watching cooking videos as they always made me feel hungry. I constantly wanted to cook new dishes. However, anything new is time consuming, heavy on the pocket as well. I need to put my time, money and energy into things that take priority over endless cooking. So, I craft simple, straightforward meals with lots of vegetables, grains and fruits. This takes care of my weight and energy.

Long screen times are harmful for eyes and gives wrinkles sooner than expected.

I also stopped trying to find what the people I knew are doing. Stalking old acquaintances, watching their timelines is toxic. My priority is my goals, tips to achieve them and new beginnings.

Instead, I watch educational and motivational content, subjects related to nature, motivational moments, mental health and active lifestyles. My screen time is limited to 30 minutes max.

Then, I began to look for classes on losing weight systematically.

I chanced upon an ad related to the free 21-day yoga challenge by Saurabh Bothra.

I used to do yoga when I was 30, but haven’t taken up the asanas as a consistent practice. I like the cross-trainer and gym a lot, that’s a little difficult in current times.

The next best thing: digital yoga classes with Habuild Yoga by Saurabh Bothra. It turns out that he’s quite an internet sensation, something I didn’t know. These classes are held thrice in the morning and thrice in the evening.

My menopausal state has led to inflammation and slow metabolism. Therefore, correct diet with lots of stretching helps.

I opted for the early morning class. That decision helps me keep up my routine. I get up early and sleep early. It doesn’t disrupt my day and keeps me free for the other goals.

Summer is an easy season, for it’s quite easy to get up before sunrise. You don’t feel like lazing in bed in the morning. Winter is the opposite. You just don’t want to get out of your quilt.

Now, I do this gentle exercise in the morning and walks in the evening. In summer, my morning was all about walks at dawn.

If you want to check the yoga classes, you can join with this link.

I also have other forms of exercises on my list. You can read about them here.

mind

My next goal was to learn something new—a language or a course that benefits me commercially.

Besides the monetary value, new courses build new neurons, neural pathways and keep the brain active.

I took the help of Google and ChatGPT for this. Surprisingly, I found this prompt on a Linkedin post by a skilled resume maker.

I used ChatGPT to analyze my resume and identify skill gaps, then researched specific courses to address those gaps. It proved really helpful. I found courses to help me overcome the skill gaps.

Contrary to popular views, AI can be a helpful tool, especially in today’s noisy world. You can keep asking for clarity, and then go for physical mentors to help you nail the issue.

Write to clear my head. Everyone talks about writing down your goals, your woes.

Writing is considered a magical tool for clearing away doubts, heal from emotional turbulences and takes your voice and thoughts far and wide.

So far, I have applied my writing skills for journalistic purposes. In the last couple of years, I have been writing to exorcise my demons, up my website game, and also express my voice. While I may not have reached a lot of people, I have touched my inner self.

My inner self speaks to me while I write. I gain a lot of clarity as I pen my doubts, fears, strengths and subjects I am passionate about. It clears my vision.

I have begun to use pen and paper to structure my thoughts and ideas before I type them out. I find that helps even more. Experts also say that when we script our narrative with our fingers, we bring it alive.

Now, I have begun to write thoughtfully, crafting with care.

As I wanted to see my goals in one place, I attended three free masterclasses on how to craft a compelling vision board.

One was for four weeks by Kanchan Sakhare–Vision to Mission.
The other was a 2-day workshop on intention and goal setting by Faryaal K., a creative guide and content marketeer.
The last vision board workshop was by renowned Canadian oracle card reader and author, Colette Baron-Reid.

With all these coaches, I discovered that visual images enhance our ability to make things happen. When we see things, work on affirmations, write constantly, we align our goals with our inner self, our ideas and thoughts. We give strength to them and make them actionable. This active participation leads us to our goals.

While all three classes benefitted me in different ways, I found Faryaal’s classes to be the most intense. She patiently made all the participants do the exercises on the Zoom call, took an active interest, helped them craft the affirmations and find pictures. She has also created a group on Whatsapp for this purpose and offers regular advice and help. she has crafted a trauma release class as well, as healing the blocks is essential before crafting a new life.

Everyone has different goals, suited to their needs. The routes they adopt are different as well. But making them come out in reality is a process. It needs action—when you act thoughtfully, they become your reality. When you leave them haywire, they disappear in air.

Coaches and mentors help you stay on the path, track your goals and offer solutions as you encounter challenges on the path.

So far, my journey entails small steps, but then I have given myself a timeline to ensure that I see the goals stand before me. I am currently working on affirmations and more realistic steps to ensure I reach my destination.

spirit

I have created a time table to manage my day. I want to enjoy this journey of fulfilling my goals, not live in stress as I watch the days go by.

I keep 3-4 hours daily for studies. I have created routine for nature walks, household chores and my new professional life.

I meditate daily to stay on track and remain patient as I take small steps on the new journey. There are no shortcuts to achieving your goals, just a lot of steps that involve strengthening your energy body and implementing practical know-how.

I plan to build a network of helpful experts on the path, a small circle of knowledgeable people who will give constructive feedback, help optimise profits and be around in emergencies. They will be from different walks of life, trustworthy and loyal. They will not abandon people or the cause, but find good solutions to the best of their abilities. They are strong reliable people, well skilled in their area of expertise and share for a larger good.

Start your journey today by listing one goal and breaking it into actionable steps. Please do share your progress in the comments below!

All the best for new beginnings, a new innings that’s more fruitful, more profitable and more joyful.

This post was created for the Blogaberry Creative (Monthly) Challenge with theme word ‘New’.