7 Lessons learned from last-year's goal-setting

1. The value of minimum commitments. A big success I had this year was to practice yoga asana daily. While I didn't hit every single day, I practiced very consistently, which is the first time I've done exercise daily. A key was that my goal was 20 minutes daily, which didn't allow me to weasel out of practicing. I didn't think 20 minutes would be enough, but many days this is all I did, and I found it very beneficial physically, as well as emotionally. Try asking "what's the minimum I'm committed to?" with your goals.

2. Strong determination for gaining momentum. Even though I was excited about practicing yoga, when it came time to practice, I still didn't want to do it! But I held myself to my commitment, and it took about 3 months before I felt weird if I didn't do yoga right before bed. Combined with the minimum commitment, this kind of holding yourself to the fire is very useful for getting going on a new habit. Patiently persist for the first few weeks or months!

3. Some goals take much longer than you'd like. About half of my goals on my list didn't get achieved. Why? Because my timeline was waaaaaay off. I guess this is a case of the saying "most people overestimate what they can achieve in a year and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade." There's an exponential growth curve to personal development--it seems like nothing is happening for a while, and then BAAAM! Your outcome arrives like magic. Be patient and kind to yourself if other things need to happen first before you can reach your goals.

4. The value of precise, expert help. I've had digestive troubles most my life. This year I got help from an herbalist and now they are mostly healed. It took 7 months working with him, changing my diet, slurping down gross chinese herb teas, and cutting out chocolate and caffeine, but it worked, and now I don't have chronic stomach pain. And more than that, I now have real data about my situation--e.g. if I drink a cup of green tea or eat some tofu, within 30 minutes my stomach will be inflamed and within an hour I'll be heading for the bathroom. Knowledge is power--go get expert help.

5. Follow the rabbit hole. Several of my goals ended up going in very different directions than I thought. I typically set "outcome specific" goals, as is recommended in almost every book on goal-setting. For example, I set a goal "learn systems theory." I imagined this to consist of reading several books on the subject. I didn't read any books on systems theory, but instead my mind opened up this year to thinking more systemically! This is far better, but I couldn't have imagined this before starting down the path. Sometimes it's better to follow your intuition than stick rigidly to your idea of how things should be proceeding.

6. Experiences change habits. I mentioned above that I healed my digestion this year. In large part this came from stopping certain habits that were causing problems, like drinking caffeine. How did I give up my delicious green tea? Well, my herbalist had me remove all potential allergens for a period of time, then reintroduce them. Removing the allergens cured my chronic stomacheache. Then I drank a cup of tea and within minutes I was in pain. Now I know that tea comes with a side of bellyache! It's an easy choice to drink something herbal instead. If you are having trouble quitting a habit, find a way to experience the real consequences--or if there aren't any, just enjoy it!

7. The power of relationships. Many of my goals were achieved magically when I joined the team at Falling Fruit. Many others were achieved in my intimate relationship. I had envisioned achieving these goals on my own, but they happened far more easily by working with others, and as a side-effect of the things we were doing together! Remember that you don't have to do it alone, and many times it's easier not to!

• How was 2007? List memories, accomplishments, challenges, and life changes.
• What did I learn from my goals for 2007?
• What do I want to create for 2008? What does wild success look like?
• What can I definitely commit to achieving in 2008? Remember: minimum commitments, with strong determination.
• What's on the someday/maybe list for 2008? These are other things you might do, but aren't committed to.
  
• What are some other intentions, affirmations, and orientations for 2008? These are things like "Be Proactive" instead of "Initiate 5 things daily at work."
• What magical things am I open to receiving in 2008?