It’s the first month of a new year, which means you’ve probably made a list of goals you want to reach this year — or at the very least, you have an idea of how you’d like this year to turn out. You have hopes and dreams, and those are worth achieving! No matter how you want your 2022 to look, I have one major piece of advice for you.
Before I share my top tip, there are two things you need to know about me. First, in September 2021, I launched my own brand design studio and I now work for myself in an industry I’ve always dreamt of working in. The second thing you need to know about me is that I’m not a risk-taker at all or a jump-in-head-first kind of gal. I’m overly cautious, I underestimate myself, and I don’t make bold moves because I’m afraid it might not work out. I could find about a hundred reasons not to do something if you gave me enough time.
And that’s fair, right? There are a lot of valid reasons to feel doubtful or anxious to do something big. It’s always scary to forge your own path. But at the same time, you know it’ll feel so good when you’re on the other side, looking back at how you got to the place you were dreaming of being a year ago.
I know how it feels to have really big, exciting, butterflies-in-your-stomach kinds of dreams. I also know how it feels to second guess those dreams and doubt they’ll come to fruition. But if I had allowed the weight of those doubts to overpower my dreams, I wouldn’t be here with the clarity and alignment that I feel in my life as a result of my leap of faith.
So here it is, my number one piece of advice for you no matter what you’re dreaming of in 2022: just get started. That’s it. Just jump into it and figure it out along the way. Don’t wait for the perfect moment, because it will never come if you sit around waiting for it. The more time you wait, the more excuses you’ll find for not doing the thing you’re dreaming of doing.
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
Walt Disney
Want to find a healthier work/life balance? Tomorrow, cut yourself off from all work at a strict time and do something you want to do for the rest of the day. Want to implement an exercise habit for your mental and physical health? Start today by doing one quick yoga session or taking a 10-minute walk outside. Want to start a new hobby? Go out today and get the necessary materials so you can start ASAP. Want to decrease your screen time? Set an app limit now or delete one of your social media apps.
You’ll learn so much more by just getting started than you ever would learn by waiting for the right moment. I know it can be scary to take the leap of faith, but you deserve the life you’re dreaming of.
If you want to stay inspired throughout 2022 and learn how to smash every goal you want to achieve, read James Clear’s Atomic Habits (not #sponsored, just a resource that I absolutely believe is worth everyone’s time). Yes, it lives up to the hype. Clear’s entire book has shifted my mindset and helped me feel capable of taking steps towards the life I’m dreaming of, and it can do the same for anyone who wants to reach any kind of goal — big or small.
Happy 2022! I hope it’s a growth-filled year for you!