All That Didn’t Happen in 2018

Last January, Tony and I took a ride down to Baltimore early on a Saturday morning. We found parking, then walked to the Barnes and Noble at Inner Harbor. There, we ordered hot beverages and set up shop in the cafe. Armed with the pdf of a Dream Guide I found online, we began plotting what we wanted 2018 to look like. 

Other than a break for lunch and a quick walk in the sunshine, we were there all day. We reflected on 2017, going over what routines or goals worked and what didn’t. We named and even redefined some of our values. We took our focus way out and thought about what we want our lives to look like in ten years, then in five, and then in 2018. 

We no longer wanted some of our dreams to float out there under the category of “someday.” We wanted to bring them close.

Finally, based on all our thoughts and discussion, we came up with goals and action steps for this past year. Some of them were daunting and a little bit scary. Revamping my website and starting my coaching business was among them. Others, were simple changes to the way we give to certain organizations or tweaks to our morning routine. But all were created with one thing in mind:

We wanted to move forward with purpose. 

We no longer wanted some of our dreams to float out there under the category of “someday.” We wanted to bring them close. We wanted to start taking the actual steps that would make them a reality. But in order to take those steps, we first needed to name them, and see where they would fit in our current schedule. And that is what we did that day.

Just as the sky was beginning to get dark, we left Barnes and Noble that evening. We felt a little overwhelmed but mostly hopeful and excited about where we were headed. We felt ready for 2018. 

Fast forward to the end of September. 

After getting back from our trip to Ireland, we knew it was time to take our dream guides out again. We needed to check off what we had accomplished and see what was still left undone. And honestly, when we did, we were a little discouraged. 

We didn’t do everything we’d hoped to in 2018. Sure, some things we could still work on during the last three months of the year. But a few were too big to fully accomplish by December ThirtyFirst. And, in these areas, we felt pretty defeated. 

Until, we were able to look at the bigger picture. Nine months later—and now, even twelve months later—some of the things we didn’t complete, we’re thinking about in new ways. That doesn’t mean we won’t do them, just that our timing or approach is going to look different. 

Also, we had to acknowledge all we DID accomplish. Rather than just look at what we couldn’t check off, we also had to look at all we could. And a few, were very big things. 

Success isn’t all or nothing. 

Everything we don’t accomplish doesn’t take away from what we do achieve. Our unfulfilled goals need to be held in balance with our triumphs. The former grounds us in reality while the latter gives us confidence to move forward. 

Bill Gates said, “Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.” Taking the time to talk and write out our dreams and goals for 2018, wasn’t about creating an absolute checklist. It was about being thoughtful on how we were going to move through the year, in hopes our efforts will compound over time.

As I say all the time on this blog and on Instagram, real and lasting change takes time. The same, is true about any dream or goal worth having. Part of the upfront time we need to put into any goal or dream, is in naming the routines we need to build, isolating the steps we need to take—and then, creating a realistic plan to do them. 

This year, Tony and I will be at it again, reflecting on our ten and five year dreams, as well as last year’s goals. Then, we will begin dreaming about what steps we need to take and goals we need to make for 2019. But, we’re going to do this a little differently this year—and we want you to join us!

Instead of using last year’s Dream Guide, we’ve created our own. Last year’s guide didn’t ask the all the questions we wanted to answer—or have space for some of the things we felt were crucial in thinking about our future. So we’ve created our own Start Here: Dream Planner. And today, it is available to you!* 

How are you thoughtfully planning your 2019?

How could you move closer to making your dreams a reality this year? 

*If you’re signed up for my e-mail list, your Start Here: Dream Planner is already in your inbox!