“You know those seasoning packets that come with the ham?” says Sunny Anderson on her cooking show Cooking for Real as she makes a holiday spiral ham. “Just can’t do it,” she says, shaking her head. “Instead, I’ve got a really, really good and easy glaze for you today,” and continues to make a fresh thyme and honey orange glaze warm with pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg. She advises you to not use the packaged seasoning that comes with the ham. Instead, she offers her recipe and persuades you that it’s “really, really good and easy.”
Her cooking tip expands into a life lesson: Plan Your Life: You’re an individual.
If you’re still not convinced that her recipe is delicious, Sunny says later in the cooking show, “Don’t use that packet that comes with the ham. Don’t do that. You’re not a packet. You’re an individual! And, you deserve an individual flavor.”
In other words, don’t let someone else decide your life. You’re not a packet, a product made by someone else. The packets of flavor represent the easy way to go and the convenient, but not always what is right for you. The packet is what someone has already decided for you.
Rather, you’re unique. You’re an individual, a complex mixture of spices and flavorings that makes you unique. Let’s embrace this idea.
It is fitting as the New Year approaches to take a fresh look at your life. Ask yourself:
- Where are you?
- Who are you?
- What are you doing?
- What do you want to do?
- Where do you want to go? With whom?
New Year’s is often a time to turn reflective and introspective. It marks the end and the beginning of a new cycle. Have hope and move forward in life. You will get what you want if you just do one thing: Write Down Your Goals.
Here are tips on how to write your goals.
One of the most important things you can do is write down your goals. Writing down your goals brings you clarity. Visually seeing your goals is one step towards achieving them.
Thought leader and inspiring life coach Michael Hyatt outlines 5 principles on how to write effective goals:
- Focus on only a few goals. Michael Hyatt suggests no more than 5-7 items. More than that is overwhelming and stretches your energy to the point of failure.
- Make them “smart.” “Smart” comes from an acronym coined in the 1980s: S.M.A.R.T- Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant/Realistic, and Time-Bound. Much has been expanded on this idea. John Lee Dumas is especially prolific on this topic on his podcast, as a guest on podcasts, and a physical journal that he created to guide you step-by-step on how to write goals. The main idea is that goals need to be thoughtfully and tactfully constructed.
Here’s an example of a goal that is Specific.
Poor goal: to improve my cooking skills
Better goal: to master souffle in two months by watching America’s Test Kitchen, reading five cookbooks about souffles, and practicing the recipe at least three times
3. Write your goals down. Studies show that writing down your goals has a direct relation to your achieving of them. In fact, you become 42% more likely to achieve your goals and dreams simply by writing them down, and not just once, but on a regular basis.
Writing activates your brain and consciousness. Your whole body and spirit moves toward the goal you want to achieve. Henriette Anne Klauser’s Write It Down, Make It Happen: Knowing What You Want and Getting It provides extraordinary stories of ordinary people who have realized their dreams—finding a perfect mate, buying a dream house, getting a great job, traveling the world—all started by the simple act of putting pen to paper every day.
4. Review them frequently. Put your goals on the refrigerator door, mirror in the bathroom, car dashboard, anywhere you can see your goals regularly. Having your goals visually present reminds you of what you want and helps you push through difficult times.
5. Share them. But, don’t share your goals with just anyone, Michael Hyatt cautions. Share your goals with people who support you. It’s much harder to keep motivated and positive when you are around naysayers and negative attitudes.
Go for more.
So, don’t just open the seasoning packet that comes with the kale just because it’s convenient or expected. Don’t settle for mediocrity. Go for more, more of what you want and need. You deserve it!
Check out this post on goal setting and this post on storytelling to learn lessons in life from the kitchen.