WOW when I started this a year ago I had a list of challenges to do and hope that I would think of a few more along the way. Which I did and that is where loving kindness meditation came in.
This is my last monthly challenge and I’m sort of sad. I enjoyed my podcasts, snail mail, meditation, crafts and more. But first I’ll do a recap of last month’s challenge of three random acts of kindness.
I noticed that I do somethings automatically, like holding the door open for people. I did let people ahead of me in line and I made a point to stop and ask people if they needed help when they looked lost, confused or taking a picture. I find people don’t like to ask for help – even when they are taking a picture of their friend in a tourist place. So I just offer point-blank and it is usually accepted. I also told people they were important to me and special for no reason. This I have to say was an easy monthly challenge wise.
For my last challenge I want to be a bit selfish. Since it is the end of the year I want to set aside some time for brainstorming and writing down goals for 2018. I want to be realistic so I am picking three goals from my brainstorming session. Maybe invite a friend to help you brainstorm.
After I get my three goals I am going to break them down into manageable parts. I am (hoping) to treat each part as its own project. Basically take baby steps towards my goals. Make the goals realistic and break them down into parts where you can celebrate your successes along the way.
I would love to hear in the comment your goals for the new year or how you go about accomplishing them. I guess I want to hear your game plan!
Thank you for following me along on these challenges and if you are just stopping by for the first time the following list is what I have been doing this year.
November random acts of kindness
April loving kindness meditation
You can always start now!
You can always start now 
I love how you set aside one month for each goal. I wish I had that kind of discipline. My goals usually end up forgotten, or I really have no clue how to follow up on a goal so I just do what I can now in hope it results in new steps to follow up.
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Thanks for stopping by. Maybe your goals are too big? What about breaking them down into smaller more manageable goals? Setting a deadline? Just tossing out ideas. Breaking stuff down and a deadline usually works for me.
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I love setting goals for myself. Your monthly challenges are very inspiring
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Thank you.Some where easier than others. Wanted to have a variety and I think I accomplished that. Thanks for stopping by.
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I LOVE the idea of setting these challenges, and you set some good ones! I try to adopt new habits each month, (but dont always succeed). A few I set this year is to be kinder to myself, always try to find a positive, and dont buy things without purpose. Its been great. I may set little challenges next year. Thanks for sharing x
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I worked at setting challenges that were achievable. Maybe not perfectly but could say I tried. Next is brainstorming for next year. I think I will head to a coffee shop and start there.
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Great post! My goal for next year is to meditate for 20 min. I meditate now, but not long enough. I will write down this commitment in order to achieve it.
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I want to meditate more in 2018 also. Yes to writing it down and maybe having it where you can see it. I use a bullet journal and write down weekly items so know I have that box to check i.e. meditation every week. It has been working for me. Now I just have to add a few more boxes to check.
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Good to know, many thanks. xx
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Love your posts! You are very committed and should be super proud! I think you should continue for another year…. 🙂
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Thank you but not sure what other challenges to do……suggestions?
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I think we all need to be a little selfish from time to time, as learning to love yourself is the key to love others better too 😊 Thank you for sharing, these challenges are awesome !
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agree we have to work on kindness and loving ourselves. It always starts within. Thank you for stopping by and commenting you are one of my cheerleaders!!
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This is so lovely….I’m currently doing the Gratitude Challenge on my blog…I’ll love to pick from your list sometime next year as well..
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It was interesting to come up with a variety of ideas. A gratitude challenge is always worthwhile. Thanks for stopping by.
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Love this! Such a sweet idea. Setting a different goal each month is def the way to do it!
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It was fun and I enjoyed the variety.
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Hi! I’ve been thinking about my intentions for the next year. I think of five or six things I want to practice. One from last year was, “live right here, not out there.” It was a way of reminding myself to stay in the present, and focus on the “real” connections I have with people rather than worry about “likes” on a post.
I try and strike the balance in setting my intentions so that they aren’t specific tasks but have application in many aspects of my life–like banks in the river of my year. Another from last year was a picture of a butterfly landing on an open palm. This was a reminder to stay open, be careful of forming judgments and attachments to my own opinion or ego.
I can tell you that one of my intentions for next year will be on seeking diversity of thought. I want to expand my empathy and understanding of others, particularly those in maginalized communities. But I’m not sure what form that will take yet.
Good luck with your planning for next year–and congrats on a year of meaningful blogging!
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Yes to being present. Love the idea of the butterfly landing on the open palm as a reminder. Thinking it could also apply to being more gentle with myself. I work at not jumping to assumptions (easier said than done some days). You now have me thinking of pictures to go with my intentions! Keep me posted on intention of seeking diversity of thought as that is something I am interesting in. Always enjoy diverse conversations and opinions as we all bring our own life experiences to the table and seeing where others are coming from can be life changing. Thanks for commenting you always push me a little and I love it!!
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Thanks, Amelia! I might do a post on my intentions again this year. I feel like putting them out there helps me feel accountable to achieving it. 🙂
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I work well with a deadline, writing it down and yeah putting it out there. Definitely feels more accountable.
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I can see where blogging about a challenge would help you stick with it! Nice!
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I can work with a deadline or once I put something out there so it did work for me.
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Love it!
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Why have I not seen these challenges before? Such a simple and yet rewarding way to be kind to yourself and others. And as another commenter said, blogging about it can serve to not only keep it on track, but as a reminder when writing the post that you have acted very positively rather than skipping that part and worrying about less important things instead. A very good way to promote self-esteem too and work in tandem with anyone that is in therapy for low mood.
I tend to look at things on too wide a scheme and end up not doing what I need to. Chunking a large project into smaller achievable goals is definitely something I need to do too.
Great post 🙂
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I enjoyed coming up with the challenges and tried to have a wide variety. Knowing I was going to report back the next month definitely kept me on track. I work well with a deadline so monthly challenges worked. Yes to breaking down a larger project and celebrating wins along the way. Maybe we should have a blogger monthly challenge of podcasts? Pictures? Places? Not sure. Hope you had a good weekend and thanks for stopping by and commenting you always get me thinking!!
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That’s what ISWG give me; one post a month on writing with a target audience on the #ISWG on Twitter. Monthly challenges are a good idea too. For me week ones get to demanding and I end up dropping out because I have other projects (writing) that get side tracked. They are time intensive which is why I dropped social media for NaNo. I feel pictures are always good because they can open up writing prompts, Podcasts about something to do with it, places also connected to what the blogger feels from the image, memoirs about something it remind them of. If its open then the limit is anything at all 🙂
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Once a month was a good time frame for challenges. I hope to get a head in a few posts for 2018 as want to concentrate on writing. For me it is booking time off and a deadline (which is why NaNo works for me). So to 2018 and blogging and writing and pulling it all together.
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Totally agree! Next year I need to get organised better. Ahead on the blog like you say and make sure I write far more regularly. This year has taught me running both simultaneously doesn’t work well for either. Onwards and upwards say I 😊
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Agree. Goal in December was to get ahead and write a few blogs post to have “in case” and feel more in control.
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That’s a very good point. Being in control rather than arriving empty handed and getting overwhelmed. I like the idea of a few post caches too. Fall backs ready if life or projects crop up unexpectedly.
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Definitely happy I have a few posts in my back pocket. Have a wonderful holiday season.
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I’m going to try that here too now, well New Year! Same to you too, although I might squeeze in some BUYB. If so might see you there first 😊
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Have a lovely holiday and I have no doubt we’ll be seeing the BUYB gang before the new year!
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This is making me think about a game plan…just getting by has been this years one
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You have little people so your game plan has to include more moving parts than mine. Have a wonderful holiday season!
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My intentions are to keep grabbing life by the horns and every opportunity that comes my way. As much as my body will allow.
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I agree! Life’s for living so go for it. Thanks for stopping by!
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I find that giving myself deadlines really does make me focus.
I think your monthly challenges are a great idea!
My blogging goal next year is to stop holding back.
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I think stop holding back is a great goal. Looking forward to seeing where that takes you!
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These are so cute! I will have to remember these. I pinned them for that reason! As for my goals for the upcoming year, I’ve tried to be realistic. One goal is to try something new every single month. Another is to travel to 5 completely new places. And a third is to post at least once a week without skipping any! I have several others in the back of my head, but these are the only ones I’ve actually written down so far!
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I think those are great goals. It might help if you break them down and at least start the year with a list of items especially for try something new every single month a few suggestions to get you started. I think these goals are blog posts waiting to be written. Start the new year with your intentions as a post and maybe a game plan. Do a post on what you are learning and trying every month. Pick one week a month to report back on for a post. It is exciting thinking about it and sounds like this could be a fantastic year!
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I will definitely try to list some things out! I may have a big change coming in a couple months, so I am waiting to see how that works out! Thank you for your suggestions! I see a lot of new posts coming from this! 🙂
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Will be keeping my eyes peeled for posts!
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I have one goal for the year. I’ve been poor at setting time aside for my novel the last few months. Next year, I’m going to be better at making time for my writing
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I did NaNo in November and having a deadline works for me. Also if I sign up for a class I am committed. So I’m thinking of treating writing as if I am taking a class and set aside specific days and times to write and see if that makes me more accountable/productive. Let me know if you come up with a game plan.
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Having a deadline usually works for me too but lately I’m awfully distracted! I think I may do along the same lines, a took a day off for writing 3 months last year and that massively helped so I might do that again too in the new year
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I am thinking along the same lines. Treat Tuesday and Thursday evenings as if I’m taking a class and sit my arse down and write. Book them off in the calendar. If you want an accountability partner in 2018 writing wise let me know!
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That’s great idea. Tell me how this accountability thing works?
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I was thinking of something where we could check in with each other weekly. Set up weekly goals maybe? Maybe X many words or hours of writing a week. Would that help you write knowing you had to check in with someone?
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Sounds good to me!
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Put your thinking cap on for writing goals for 2018 and how I can support you! Weekly check-ins? Accountability? Sky is the limit.
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Great Amelia! I will, weekly check-ins sound good
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I am so sorry haven’t connected with you. Are you doing Camp NaNo in April?
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Great idea setting these monthly goals… I always have good intentions, but I don’t set a date by which I want it to accomplished, so a lot of things never get done!!!
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Having a date (or deadline) works better for me. Also breaking goals down into baby steps and maybe assigning a date for each step – would that work?
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