Leap into 2024
As we are now well into 2024 and the end of February (even with one extra day) is in sight it could be a good time to take stock of any commitments you make to yourself to change something in your life in 2024.
A New Year can inspire a commitment to make change. However, commentator Mark Larson maintains “We expect too much from January and not enough from February”. Reflecting upon Mark’s advice, another commentator Austin Kleon, who I’m a big fan of and paid subscriber to, says: “Now I think of February as an opportunity. Only 28 days in this month. A good month for a 28-day challenge. (Or, if it’s a leap year, a 29-day challenge!) A good month for something small, every day. A good month to close the gap between what we are and what we want to be. A good month to get off my ass and do something productive with my despair.”
The image that accompanies this blog is from Austin’s calendar for February. It seems an apt image as research showsthat 38.5% of American adults make New Year's resolutions. However, 23% quit their resolutions in the first week and 64% after the first month. Only 9% actually achieve their resolutions. According to Strava, a Running and Cycling tracking app, most people quit their resolutions on the second Friday of January, which they aptly named “Quitters Day”.
Although New Years resolutions have somewhat of a bad rap, they do provide an opportunity to reflect and set intentions on how you want to use your time and what you want to focus on. Research highlights the value of reflecting on your life purpose and principles, creating goals that push you a little beyond where you would naturally go, and creating a plan with accountability.
A resolution, whether made at New Year, the beginning of a month or at any other time, can be viewed as a commitment you make to yourself to change something in your life. Dr Google offers plenty of guidance on life planning and goal setting (and in their capacity as coaches Rodger and Chellie can too!) In researching this blog, we came across this example, with the promising title: ‘How to Find Your Purpose in Life: The Definitive Guide’. We appreciate the point made in the blog that “you can find purpose in changing the world in some way or form” – a subject included in Rodger’s PhD research and in his blog ‘A Question of Purpose’. Chellie has also written extensively about purpose including these blogs Becoming your Purpose and Calling Purpose to You.
As people who are passionate about changing the world for the better we were excited to come across a new guide created by the Inner Development Goals (IDGs) initiative. Rodger has previously written about the IDGs in this blog. In summary, the IDGs are a global initiative aiming to further action towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and a vision of shared prosperity in a sustainable world – a world where all people can live productive, vibrant and peaceful lives on a healthy planet.
Titled ‘Closing the Books with IDGs’ the guide invites readers to “reflect on the past year and set your intentions for the year to come with the help of the Inner Development Goals framework. By Closing the Books, we hope you will gain some new perspectives and insights about yourself. By becoming more aware you can choose what you wish to bring with you into the year to come and give more energy to – as well as what you wish to leave behind.”
The Guide begins by profiling the five dimensions of the IDG framework, as well as the 23 skills, qualities and capacities that are currently part of these dimensions and are believed to contribute in helping us lead more purposeful, sustainable and productive lives.
Drawing upon the concept of the Wheel of Life (often used in personal goal setting and life coaching) the guide provides The Wheel of Inner Development Goals and asks: How much have I lived and practised the five IDG dimensions this past year?
We recommend that you give yourself a score for each IDG, with 10 = lived and practised this a lot, 0 = not at all. Then, looking to the year ahead, set a target score for each IDG of where you would like to be this time next year.
If you would like to see the full “Closing the Books” guide, email Rodger at rodger@moneymatters.co.nz and he will be happy to send you the PDF.
By using the IDG framework as a tool for self-reflection and setting achievable goals, you will be better placed to navigate 2024.
This February, we encourage you to set an intention and achieve something that makes more of a difference than you would otherwise – for yourself, for others and for the planet. Doing so will not only make a difference for yourself, it is sure to inspire others as well. Take a leap this leap year and narrow that gap between what you are and what you want to be.
PS. If you’d like to explore the subject of inner development further, check out Rodger’s podcast ‘Inner Development with Ashley Wain and The Diamond Approach’. As fans of the IDGs and long-time students of The Diamond Approach, Rodger and Chellie wholeheartedly recommend tuning in.
