Last week I ushered in 2025 with the post Intentional New Year. I described my use of a new inventory to evaluate 2024 that I’d found on the Mel Robbin’s podcast. Reviewing my answers to that tool, I started thinking about what I wanted to accomplish this year. I realized that completing the Camino journey and earning my Compostela–my certificate of proof that I’d walked the final 60 miles/100 kilometers to the cathedral in Santiago, Spain was a huge, singularly-focused accomplishment.

There were many steps to achieving that One Big Goal. I had to research various routes of the Camino and pick the one that suited my needs: the Portuguese Coastal Path. Over the months of preparation, I read about essential hiking shoes and clothing and made frequent trips to REI–my best retail option. I joined a supportive network–the Raleigh Chapter of American Pilgrims on the Camino. That group was invaluable in providing information, encouragement, and Saturday group hikes. I met with a friend who has completed many arduous hiking trips and then used her schedule for training followed by many hours of walking at the Hunter St Park.

Besides the actual walking of the Camino, the familiarity with the route and physical preparation, there was all the time focusing on airline tickets, translation and other apps, money transfer to Euros, writing blog posts ahead, discontinuing mail service for 3 weeks, and emails and FaceTime communications with Mary Maddox of Prayerful Path who arranged my self-guided pilgrimage.

Looking back over all the steps, all the tasks that were required to complete that goal, I see now why it took more energy than I ever imagined. Seeing all my photos, I’m grateful for achieving that goal and realize that it took a singular focus, letting go of other thing in my life in order to achieve that one thing. Now, I proudly display my Compostela beside my writing desk to remind me that all that effort was worth it.

When I reviewed last year, I realized there had been another goal I wanted to achieve: complete my sequel memoir. While I did move forward—rejoining my writing group, submitting portions of the sequel for critique, I didn’t do nearly the amount of work toward that goal I’d planned. In retrospect, after seeing all it took to complete the Camino, I overpromised or set an unrealistically high expectation to accomplish 2 things that both required lots of time and energy.

When I took my Life Coaching Course in 2015 through Linda Bark’s Wisdom of the Whole (WOW) Coaching Academy we were instructed that it’s better to help clients underpromise. That meant taking smaller steps that were achievable so their success would fuel more steps that successfully achieved the goal.

Now, I’ll make my One Big Goal for 2025 to complete my sequel memoir. I can use points from Mel Robbins to help clear space for the steps required to complete this goal. What do I need to Stop doing? Are there time-wasters like scrolling the internet or watching tv shows that aren’t serving me and could be used for writing?

What are the things I need to Continue doing? There are many things that fill my days, my weeks that are ongoing: health needs, caring for house and finances, time with others, leisure activities etc. When I look at my weeks to plan steps toward my goal, I need to be realistic about these ongoing needs.

What am I going to Start doing? Now, I will look at Mon-Fri as my Work Week, just like I did as a nurse–but at this point as a Writer. Last week I set a goal of working on the memoir two hours a day and I accomplished that 3 out of 5 days; that was reasonable given the other things scheduled. I’ll still have all the things that support my writing to keep up with including this blog, my Author FB page, Writing Group Zoom meetings and critiques, learning new areas of writing craft and technology. When you break down your big goal into all the related parts—like my walk on the Camino, it becomes much more involved than at first glance.

I wonder if there’s One Big Goal that you have for 2024? Or maybe, it’s a goal that doesn’t seem so large but’s one that you want to achieve. What are the things that are necessary to achieve that goal? Who can give you support? What will you need to stop doing and what will you need to start?

Over the next week, I plan to continue working toward my goal as we progress through January. Part of the process we learned in the WOW course was making those steps small, steady, reasonable, and fun. I’m reminded that some of the fun is setting up rewards along the way to celebrate each step of success. I think I’ll use stickers on my progress sheet to mark completing small steps; somehow even at my age a smiley-face-sticker can still bring me joy. And for arriving at mile markers–like chapters written or completing rewrites from my critiques, I’ll spend an afternoon at a movie or the art museum; those activities fill my creative well.

What will you do in the next week toward your goal? How will you make the steps small, steady, reasonable, and fun?

Whatever you choose, wherever your path takes you, I wish you the best as we journey through January.

Connie