New Year, New You (Tips to Stay on Track & Have Your Best Year Ever!)

By Carol Holguin, spa director at Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa

Staying on track for your best year yet!

Staying on track means you have a track in the first place, that you know the destination, and have created a pathway to reach it. This is called goal-setting.

For the past four years, I have participated in a goals group. We start in January exploring, defining, and refining goals we want to achieve throughout the year. The process is both intuitive and systematic, led by an empathic, wise teacher/mentor. As a group, we share both our goals and our process. Sharing within a trusted group allows for feedback, encouragement, and support. I find these essential in the process of staying on track.

Each month we check in with each other via email. We state what steps we took during the past month, what obstacles we may have faced, conquered, or became stuck at, and how we will re-direct, adjust, or modify the pathway going forward. And again, we offer each other feedback, encouragement, and support. Making progress creates momentum. Even the smallest step can shift your whole perspective!

Being a part of a goals group has given me strength to attempt goals I had only dreamed of, like directing a world-class spa, or moving across the country, or creating my own business. It also has been the motivation for deeper spiritual practice, following a healthier lifestyle, and healing wounded or distant relationships.

Some of my goals carry over from year to year because I either want to take it further, or have not yet succeeded. I am learning to have a better relationship with myself, letting go of perfectionism and allowing a gentler, more soul-driven awareness guide my life.

I have found that I can accomplish just about anything I am willing to work towards. In the past four years, I have paid down $37,000 in debt, nearly doubled my income, improved family relationships, traveled, and improved my health—dropping from a size 16 to a size 8.

Tips for Staying on Track:

Define your goals in realistic, focused, positive statements—limit the number to three to four goals to start; you always add a goal as you complete one.

Break each goal down into smaller steps—identify three to four smaller steps per goal.

Set realistic goal dates for each smaller step.

Write them down, create a goals board, or journal where you can evaluate progress easily.

Check in with each goal at least monthly. Choosing the same day each month makes sense and is easier to remember. Place it on your calendar, set reminders in your phone. This step is crucial. Most “resolutions” fail because we forget we’ve made them.

Create some accountability. Gather some trusted friends or family to do this with you. Share your experiences and encourage each other along the way. One person’s success can have a motivating effect on the whole group.

When you fail, or fall short of the mark, make adjustments and try again. This is the biggest difference in staying on track.

 

In 2014, Ocean Pearl Spa is launching Journey to Wellness Challenge 2014! Each month we will offer a challenge, based on a holistic approach to wellness. In January we’ll offer participants an opportunity to assess current physical, mental, and emotional/spiritual factors, leading toward establishing three goals for 2014. Monthly challenges will include interactive classes, spa activities, and individual exploration. Participants meeting the challenge each month for 12 months will receive a Journey to Wellness Challenge VIP card worth 20 percent off all spa treatments for 2015. 

About Carol: Carol Holguin has 20-plus years in the healing arts as a massage therapist, coach, and counselor. She is currently spa director at Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa, where her focus is helping guests and staff embrace the wellness lifestyle. With a background in both massage therapy and counseling, Carol is passionate about the process of healing through community: transformation of trauma to strength, and strength into artful expression.