A New Start: Create Vision this January

2022 is here. Let's make the most of it.

Usually, on January 1st, we see a bunch of "New Year, New Me" cliché's pop up on the internet, triggering groans and eye-rolls among us all. At the same time, there's no denying that gym memberships & self-help book sales go through the roof in the first month of the year. People, ourselves included, want to improve and change for the better! Although it's true at the start of every January, this year really, truly, feels different. We're sure others feel the same way.

Armed with more motivation than ever before, we're all ready to tackle the things we missed out on in 2020 and 2021 and spend (only part of) the year playing catch-up. But our intention with focusing on "Creating Vision" this month was to ensure that we don't set impossible New Year's Resolutions that won't last more than a few weeks and instead create lasting goals that we will feel motivated to pursue for the entire year and beyond.

This month, rather than rushing to get as much done as possible and quickly burn out, we want to take time to think about and understand exactly what we want, what our goals are, and what values these reflect.

Revisiting and reconsidering our Key Questions

In addition to this month's key questions from our 2022 Planners, we want to raise some thoughtful questions and prompts that will help prime you to make meaningful goals:

• What is the most ambitious goal I can set for myself this year? What about in the next 5 years?
• What unresolved conflicts do I need to address to make my vision real? Are these conflicts with others? With yourself?
• What are three steps that you can do today to get you started on the way to accomplishing your goal?
• Close your eyes, and envision the ideal "ordinary day" for you. What are the top 5 ways this ideal "ordinary day" differs from your current day-to-day? Of these 5, which are within your control to begin working toward right now?
• What three things must I do every single day to feel fulfilled? What's stopping me right now from doing these things?

The answers to these questions can be more general and holistic, or can be catered for each aspect of your life—family, career, health, relationships. However you choose to apply this month's theme, it's important to start off the new year with goals that are in line with your vision. Vision works in two directions: it helps us remember why our simple tasks are worthwhile, and also helps us narrow down which responsibilities to take on when we're given many options.

Some things to ponder from our team

Do you plan to spend less time with your eyes on a screen? ~cue irony~ Try the Ologies Podcast with Alie Ward. Alie's insatiable interest to learn new things is infectious, as much as it is inspiring. This is a big favourite for the Karst Team. As we just finished December, starting the year with more gratitude might be a great place to start. Alie recently interviewed Neil Pasricha, author of "1000 Awesome Things".

Do you want to begin cooking for yourself more often? While Samin Nosrat isn't exactly the healthiest chef, her approach to cooking may be an interesting way for you to try new recipes and cuisines. Listen to her interview with Sam Sanders where she talks about how much she loves frozen Trader Joe's food. Or watch an episode every week of her Netflix show "Salt Fat Acid Heat" and use it to inspire your cooking! Or tune into her new podcast, "Home Cooking"

If another one of your New Year's Resolutions is to be more mindful and present, food is a great place to start. Sit and have a meal that you've cooked while paying full attention to the textures and flavors. Imagine you are a food critic and note down all the aspects of your meal that you notice. Chances are, you'll eat less, feel more satisfied, and enjoy the experience much more.

Do you want to learn more this year? Recently, we heard about the concept of “anti-fragility.” It refers to things that actually become STRONGER when faced with disorder or shock. Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder: Nassim Nicholas Taleb speaks to the phenomenon in a scientific way, describing systems that behave with “anti fragility.” Definitely an interesting read, and something to ponder as we humans face problems throughout this year.

Any resources that inspire you? Share them with us on Instagram!