This is the Monday Medley, a newsletter that goes out, you guessed it, every Monday. I republish it here for sharing and referencing, but if you'd like to sign up you can do so right here:
Happy Monday!
Taking it easy this week without much of a Medley.
Instead, since I assume most people are thinking about goals and resolutions for 2022, here are a few resources I've found very helpful in the past.
This is my friend Anthony's annual reflecting & planning document which he's been using and refining for years now.
It is extremely extensive and will take a while to work through. But it's worth it! He's really designed it to cover everything you might want to think about going into the new year, and I've enjoyed working through it myself.
This is a lighter version of Anthony's exercises, while still touching on some of the same areas.
You can find these on pages 259 and 272 of Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins.
The first exercise encourages you to look at your life 5 years ago, today, and where you want it to be in 5 years, across a variety of areas (money, health, relationships, spirituality, etc.)
The second exercise helps you dream big about long term goals in four key areas, and then hone in one where you want to focus next year.
And for something completely different, you could also takes James Clear's "Systems over Goals" approach from Atomic Habits.
The thinking here is that goals are fleeting, and don't provide much lasting happiness once you hit them. Instead, focus on building systems or habits that will move you in the direction of your rough goals.
So instead of "save $10,000" you set up a habit like "invest $1,000 a month" or "stop ordering takeout." This way you're also winning a little bit every day, instead of waiting for one big win.
I personally think it's helpful to blend both approaches. E.g. go through Anthony's or Tony Robbins's exercises to set some goals, then figure out what kinds of Habits will make you more likely to hit those goals and focus more on the habits than the metrics.
Anyway, I hope you've been having a great holiday. I'm grateful as always that you're on this little newsletter journey with me, and I'll see you next year!
Best,
Nat