Towards the end of each year, I have an “offgrid” day. I drive out of Sydney and put my phone on silent so I can reflect on how the year has unfolded. It is my time to reset, refresh and re-strategise. I look through my photo galleries, revisit journal entries and I have candid conversations with self about what worked or not, and what I will do differently in the new year.

When I did this in December, I felt a sense of peace envelope me, and unlike in other years where I then write down my goals, this time, I felt compelled to couple goals with commitments to myself. So, in this post I’ll share 3 commitements I made.

1. I committed to living fully. Laughing wholeheartedly. Loving without reservation.

This was something that jumped out at me on my birthday, and it has played on my mind a lot. So, I began to unpack what this would mean practically.

To me, living fully means being present in the moment. Being attentive to people and observant of my surroundings, then, listening to hear what is spoken and what is left unspoken. I’ve spent seasons madly focused on “what’s next”, and it dawned on me that I have missed opportunities because of this. So, in living fully, I will savour the moments. I will be proactive about finding the beauty and good in every person and moment.

Laughing wholeheartedly? That one is a no brainer.  But I know how intrinsically connected it is to the third bit which I consider to be my greatest challenge now that I’m openly stating it – to love without reservation. I suspect there may be a book on this latter point because of the many layers I have been peeling back in my quiet time.

To quote and paraphrase someone I admire – “love is risky business and often without immediate reward”. Be it in the context of family, friendship, business, service, ministry or whatever the case may be.  Love is demanding, it is tasking and it can be an investment amongst many other things. But the one thing I understood in my reflections was this – the risk comes when “self is fully invested without God”. Without God, there is  a dimension of love that we misunderstand . As a result, fear sets in – fear of failure, disappointment and fear of being hurt. But when you let God lead, loving without reservation is easier. 

So, I go forth with optimism and boldness. I will document my many adventures and perhaps…. misadventures. Only time and a good tea brew will help me tell!

2. I committed to give more.

Often when we hear the word “give”, our minds race to think about money, but there is so much more to this than funds and material things. You can give:

• Your time
• Your gifts and talents
• Your skills and expertise
• Your presence and lessons learnt

I’ve always been a “less is more” type of person, but there are times when I have fallen victim to the “big is better” and “quantity over quality” syndrome. Big is not always better. Most expensive is not always the “IT”. And certainly, quantity does not always equate to quality. The lesson I continue to learn is that giving requires attentiveness to the needs of those around you. Perhaps what one may need is half an hour of your time and undivided attention.

Perhaps what someone needs is to draw from your wealth of experience and wisdom so they can leap over the wall they see ahead instead of having to break through a wall? Our life journeys and experiences serve a purpose, and the battles we’ve fought and won are the blueprints and roadmaps of hope and inspiration for others. So, for me, giving more in this particular year is about time and presence in different settings and the willingness to give in dimensions that go beyond funds.

That mentee you have been meaning to catch up with – set up a meeting. That charity you’ve been meaning to volunteer with, reach out to them. That friend whose name keeps popping into mind, check in on them.

3. I committed to embracing opportunities I tend to shy away from.

This one is the biggest thing for me this year! For some years, my confidence took big hits. While I’ve not been able to pinpoint the catalyst for this, what I can always remember is the overwhelming sense of unworthiness and the frustration of knocking down doors that never opened to opportunities I sought.

I lost my courage. I lost my ability to dream. Eventually, I lost my voice and saw little value in it. I did not consider many of my thoughts worthy of sharing either and grew comfortable with simply existing!! Coupled with the fact that by nature I am introverted, I had managed to work myself into ‘invisibility’. Thank God for many good mentors, sensitive colleagues and wise counsel. They have poured into me over the years, stretched me and offered alternate perspectives that have opened me to possibilities… some excited…some petrifying because I am still a work in progress and that boldness is still building up!

One of my stretch goals this year is to revive some shelved dreams. The one I will share has to do with running goal setting workshops and offering 1-on-1 coaching for people who are interested in leading a life of impact.

I initially thought that this was an idea I had sat on for a year and half. However, my records indicate otherwise. To be precise – the records indicate close to 4 years of ideation (no judgement please!).  It was towards the end of 2020 when I had the initial thoughts I was excited but hesitant – mostly because I did not think myself qualified enough and I was battling with sever imposter syndrome. At the time, I “committed to doing research about it”. Truth be told “researching into it” was code for shelving the idea.

Fast forward to September/October of 2023. This idea came back to me, only with a greater sense of urgency that I could not explain. In attempting to conveniently shelve this,  I became restless until the day I finally gave in and started working on an outline of what this could look like.

So, as of February I will be offering Goal setting and accountability coaching for purpose driven visionaries. I’ve realised that there’s always a lot of excitement about setting up vision boards , but sometimes people do this without understanding their why, the “whos”, the what and without being clear on their “whens”. I’ve drawn on observations from running goal setting sessions with mentees, accountability conversations with peers and my own personal and professional development journeys.

From Thoughts to Action – the goal setting offering 😊:

Titled “From Thoughts to Action: Goal setting for the purpose driven visionary”, the sessions are designed to help people gain clarity and equip them with knowledge to:

• Take a holistic approach to identifying and setting realistic goals
• Consider potential obstacles and how to overcome them
• Determine the tools and support needed to remain on track
• Establish structures and systems to keep  accountable
• Commit to plans

For now, I’ve settled on a group workshop (limited to 10 spots for each session with the first happening on 10 Feb from 9:30-11:30am), a 1-on-1 package for those interested in keeping accountable throughout the year and there is also a once off 90minute session that includes a complimentary check in at whatever point of the year someone chooses to schedule this for.

So, if you, or someone you know is interested in doing life by design in 2024 and beyond,  further information is available here 😊

To celebrate this major milestone, I am also offering  15% off all purchases and bookings made by midnight on the 10^th of February (Coupon Code = Lifebydesign24).

Now that I have finally finished and said this in the open – I’m more nervous, but excited! In summary, a suite of commitments and great plunges forward. Enough from me and about me. What are your goals or personal commitments for 2024? Are you the life by design or take it as it comes character? In any case, I hope that this year, you pull down those dreams that have accumulated dust on the shelves and go for it!

Until next time, or perhaps, until the Goal setting session you book yourself into… take care dear reader. Pray for me as l launch out of the shallows of comfort into the depths that come with pursuing a dream😊!