As I am writing this it is October. Only three months remain before we embark upon 2020. I have recently realized that this season of Fall is the perfect time to begin thinking about the goals you would like to achieve in the coming year.

2019 was the first year of my life that I made a New Year’s Resolution that I consistently worked on throughout the entire year.  I learned that when you focus on goals that are realistic and obtainable it is so much more gratifying than setting goals that are so large you wind up self-sabotaging. Small goals are ok! Remember that you can always break up a big goal into a series of small ones and still get there eventually. This year I really focused on contentment and personal (and spiritual) growth. While I think there will always be room for improvement, I am definitely in a better place with both those qualities in my life than I was last year and it makes me feel very fulfilled to have stuck to a goal and not given up when it became difficult.

Why is the Fall a good time to start thinking about upcoming goals?

A few weeks ago while I was on Facebook I got a notification that Iyanla Vanzant (inspirational speaker, spiritual teacher, and author) was going “live”. I clicked on the video because well, I’m a big fan! She is a jubilant, animated and wonderful, speaker. For a woman who has faced so much adversity, she has now become a teacher and inspiration to so many.  This particular live episode was called “Fall UP” and it was about being inspired by nature’s seasons. She encouraged her viewers to plant the “seeds” (set their goals) in the Fall. She encourages us to start thinking about what it is you want to achieve or work on in your life during this Fall season and to use the winter to really focus and work on those goals that you are setting. Done right and with commitment, you should start to see your goals being achieved by the Spring and Summer — the same time the flowers and tree buds are blooming. I was so blown away by this simple suggestion! I had never thought of setting goals this way.

When you think about it, when is there ever a better time to work on your goals than Wintertime? For many of us (myself included), Winter can be a difficult season. Between cold weather, limited opportunities to get out of the house and less sunlight winter can seem downright discouraging.

But what if we reframed how we see winter?

What if instead of seeing it as a time where there isn’t a whole lot to do (especially once the holidays are over) we began seeing it as the perfect opportunity to start a new hobby? Fine-tune a skill we want to improve upon? Research and plan that business idea we’ve been stewing over for years? Make a book reading goal and see it through?

Whether your goal is simple or complex, the winter is a time that provides a lot of quiet. Fewer parties and get-togethers, fewer outdoor events, less desire to get out because of the cold. But hidden in those seemingly unfortunate things is also all this time that you can use to your benefit.

In the past, I’ve sulked over missing the warm weather and really did much else in the winter than complain. This coming winter I’m challenging myself to achieve some goals that I’m working on.

Nature is a beautiful teacher and every season has a purpose — for the trees, flowers, wildlife — and for humankind as well.

I hope that you will feel encouraged this Fall to set some goals for yourself. I hope you feel inspired to see Winter as your time to grow. 

Give your goals your attention and dedication this Winter and watch as what was once simply a “goal” … blooms into an achievement ❀