- emilysophie
Setting goals
A whole new year ahead filled with possibilities, opportunities and experiences for you to grab...let's dive right in
The start of a new year is the obvious time to set/reassess/adapt goals and dreams and it can be a really fun thing to do...and it should be.
If you're reading this filled with dread at the thought of setting goals, then perhaps a little mindset flip is in order, because 'dread' and 'goals' are two words that definitely don't go together!
Mapping out your future is exciting-anything and everything is up for grabs and all you have to do is to decide what it is you want to actually grab.
Writing out your goals is a great way of making them feel that little bit more real to you. So is telling a friend. This is a fun exercise that allows you to go as big as you want, but equally allows you to narrow in on the smaller things that really matter too.
As a dancer, you may have your eye on the prize of getting a job on stage, or on a ship, or to join a company, or maybe even start your own. Perhaps you'd like to tour with an artist or create your own showcase. Then there's the other seemingly smaller but oh so powerful goals, like stretching 5 times a week to help you increase your flexibility, or making sure you enjoy a hot bath every weeknight to relax your muscles, or taking 5 minutes every morning to journal or meditate...
Big or small-everything counts.
A great exercise is to float ahead so you can look back. What we mean by that, is to imagine your life in 3, 6 and 12 months time-how does it look? Where are you? What are you doing? Who are you with? How do you feel? What's different? Ask all the questions you can think of to create as much detail as you can and then come back to the present day and write down your goals...with the added bonus of making them really specific.
You can't go overboard here! Have fun with it-go to town and paint it red, blue, green, yellow and pink! This is your life and these are your goals and dreams-they deserve to be jam-packed full of everything your heart desires.
When you've written out your specific goals for 3, 6 and 12 months' time, re-read them back to yourself...how do they make you feel? Are you excited? Nervous? Deflated? Pumped? Think about achieving these goals and really put yourself there...what emotions are coming up? If you're feeling excited at the prospect of making these goals a reality, then it looks like you're on the right track :) If, however, you feel unmotivated or flat thinking about them, then it's time to repeat the process until you feel pumped up and ready to make your dreams happen!
Anything we choose in life is because of the way we believe it is going to make us FEEL; the career, the partner, the holiday, the pet, the house, the new lipstick etc...anything we want in life, we want, because ultimately, we want to be happy.
Our goals are all individual, but they all lead to the same real goal...happiness.
So get creative, choose goals that inspire you and make you want to jump out of bed each morning! You get to decide what adds to your happiness.
Side Note:
Nothing can actually bring you happiness but yourself
Just to repeat...nothing can bring you happiness but yourself. Which means the career, the partner, the cool London flat or the job of your dancing dreams won't actually MAKE you happy-that lies within you and always has and will. But what it will do, is ADD to your happiness (if it's what you really want of course). And adding to one's happiness is a great goal in itself.
So, what do you want?
What comes to mind first? Get out your notebook or journal and spend some time visualising yourself 3, 6 and 12 months into the future...how much will those visions add to your happiness if they were to become your reality?!
It's time to set some goals!
Emily Sophie
