How to Make Steady Progress in 2021 No Matter What Happens
By: Susan Eckert
Tags: Goal Setting, Transitions, Overcoming Obstacles, Vision, Motivation

Image by Luan Oosthuizen via Pexels.com

The Detour

You’re hiking a narrow path and come to a place where it’s unexpectedly blocked by a huge fallen tree.

What do you do?

Do you give up altogether? If you’re committed to achieving your end goal you’d probably more inclined to look for a detour.

In a best case scenario the detour offers incredible sights, new vistas, and inspiration you never imagined you’d find.

This is my story for 2020.

Despite covid-19…my father-in-law moving into our quarantined family of five plus two fur babies…3 kids schooling from home…a forced temporary closure of my brick and mortar business…and an unexpected diagnosis of breast cancer — which required two surgeries a month apart…I never gave up on my overarching vision.

Instead, I found a detour, which led me down paths of expansion and growth I hadn’t anticipated coming into 2020. I reflected on what was within my control, let go of initial expectations about my path, and figured out how to move forward in a different way.

No matter what obstacles arose, I kept moving. I pursued advanced level Reiki training, achieved certification as a consulting hypnotist, started writing my third book, and drafted new programs and resources to support women and introverts bloom into their full potential.

The 4R Method™

The 4R Method™was my key to ensuring 2020 didn’t end up a total wash. Please note: this is not a one-time activity, but rather a formula for an ongoing practice. Allow it to evolve as you move forward, particularly as new challenges and opportunities present themselves.

1. REFLECT

Honestly assess your life, goals, mindset, habits, and priorities. Heading into 2020 what did you want to accomplish before life went crazy with the pandemic? Note any progress you made despite the unexpected turn of events.

How/where did you spend most of your time in 2020? Check for alignment with the intentions and goals you’d set.

What specifically helped or hindered you in your progress this year? (Be sure to focus on events within your sphere of control as well as those you felt were out of your control).

2. RELEASE

Ask yourself: What can I let go of heading into 2021?

Assess, tweak, and clarify a motivating vision for 2021.

Whether it’s beliefs that no longer serve you in your growth & development, or self-sabotaging habits, set an intention to notice the “operating system” currently running your life. Then ask: where is there need for an upgrade? Where are there bugs in need of a fix? And like viruses, how might the opinions and beliefs of external influences be wreaking havoc on my vision?

3. REINVENT

The toughest part about change — often outside our sphere of control — is the associated requirement that we transition — finding new ways of being and doing things in the world. Without a doubt, Covid has changed how business gets done for many of us. Have you transitioned along with these changes? Ask yourself: Who was I being in my business prior to 2020? Who will I be in 2021? And how might I do things differently?

While we may feel frustrated and lacking control when life forces change upon us, the choice to transition is ours alone. We can choose to remain stuck — insisting upon old, outdated ways of being and doing things — or we can choose to transition — reinventing our identity, forming new habits, and learning new skills that will enable us to do things more effectively in the context of our new environment. How has your response to unexpected challenges in 2020 shaped your experience and results? What emotions would you associate with your chosen responses?

Now ask yourself: How might I reinvent myself in 2021?

4. (BE) RESILIENT

The only certainty in life is uncertainty. What’s your gut reaction to this fundamental truth?

In the face of future challenge, ask yourself: “How might I use this opportunity to grow, learn, or pivot?”

Repeat: Fall ten times but get up eleven — there is no such thing as failure, only lessons learned. Successful visionaries like Oprah and Tony Robbins attest to this regularly. Ask yourself: How have I embodied this perspective in the past, and how might I carry it forward into 2021?

Give The 4R Method™ a try, and let me know how it goes for you.

Wishing you all the best in 2021!

Love & light,

Holistic Transformation Coach,

Susan Eckert

www.susaneckert.com