Starting the new year on the right foot.

Long before I ever began to practice reiki, I was a great believer in setting goals.  Setting goals is another way of forming intention, one of the hallmarks of energy work. How can you focus your time, effort, physical, psychic, psychological and spiritual resources if you have no idea where to direct them?

I'll admit, I haven't always been faithful to setting goals each year, but the times when I accomplished the most have been the times I have laid the basis for success by planning ahead.  Here's a worksheet I developed for basic planning.  You can use it or adapt it any way you see fit, but if you post it anywhere, please include the copyright notice.

Writer's Goal Setting Worksheet 


My name: _________________________ Date ________
My daily goals are to:
1. _____________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________
My weekly goals are to:
1. ______________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________
By the end of the year I want to:
1. ______________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________
In five years I want to:
1. ______________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________
My lifetime goal is to:
_______________________________________________________
©2003 Deirdre Savoy

Obviously this worksheet works for overall big-ticket goals for the most part.  For every big goal you have, you may want to break it down into manageable parts that can be completed in days or weeks instead of months or years.  This way you can measure progress toward a large goal.  Tasks don't seem so insurmountable if you can tackle them bit by bit.

How to empower your goals energetically?  This new year's day will be 1/1/11.  You don't have to be a big fan of numerology to recognize that the numerical repetition is significant.  The energies on this day will be all about new beginnings for this year.  On this first day of the new year, take a few minutes to be alone, quiet and calm.  Write your major goals on this worksheet or another piece of paper.  You can do the same for your personal goals, as well.  Light a candle and burn some incense, sage in a coffee cup or cauldron or essential oil in a diffuser.  Sit upright with your feet on the floor.  Hold the papers that contain your goals (folded) between your two hands in a prayer-type position.  Close your eyes and focus on your breathing.  As you breathe in, imagine you are pulling energy into your body, not just your lungs, but deep into you belly, as well.  As you exhale, image that energy flowing outward, down your arms and into your palm chakras.  Intend to send that energy to your goals. Continue to breathe energy in and send it out to your goals for as long as you feel guided to do so.  This may last a few minutes or longer.

I like to keep these papers in a box that I send reiki to as often as I feel guided to do so.  Even if you don't have reiki, you can still connect to your goals by sending energy to them whenever you like in the manner described above.