Try this 5-minute exercise to help you set 2021 goals grounded in self-connection and balance

Stephanie Popso, a Detroit-based well-being coach, yoga instructor, intuitive practitioner and owner of her own wellness company, Naturally Empowered, knows a thing or two about setting those 2021 goals — and actually sticking to them.

She found success in her own life by creating healthy routines, and from there, created her own daily guide — The Empowered Life Planner — to help others find their pathway to success. 

The motto of this year’s 2021 Empowered Life Planner is, “There is no for sure way to know what any given year will bring, but there is a way to create habits and rituals that bring us balance every single day. Our prompts will show you how to adjust your sails when you can’t change the direction of the wind.”

Popso shared several key steps to goal-setting, along with her own sage advice during her January goal-setting workshop with members of Detour Detroit and the Naturally Empowered Tribe Facebook group at a workshop on Friday.

“When we allow ourselves to dig a bit deeper and connect with ourselves, we begin to uncover our paths.”

–Stephanie Popso

So, why not get started today?

Here are five bite-sized steps inspired by Popso’s workshop to get you feeling energized to work toward your goals in 2021.

1. Get grounded. Close your eyes and take some slow, deep breaths.
2. Close your eyes and visualize your morning or evening routine.
3. As you visualize your morning and evening routine, think about a way you could adjust or upgrade your routine to align with your goal(s) or that you’d possibly like to experiment with.
4. Put pen to paper and write down what you’d like to change. As Popso shared, we’re way more likely to accomplish something if we write it down.
5. Now, with your main goal in mind, pick one action step you could commit to doing and is manageable in a one-week stretch.  Then, move on to another step towards achieving that goal. For example, if your goal is to start a gratitude journal and write every night before bed, start by taking the action step of placing the journal and pen on your nightstand. Or, if your goal is to start working out in the morning, try setting your clothes out the night before. Even if you end up just making coffee in your leggings, you’re still starting to build that habit.

Remember — it’s easy to bite off more than you can chew. It’s okay to start small and take it slow.

Here are some fantastic goals participants shared during the workshop:

1. Adding some fun activities to my evening routine. (Popso suggested creating a menu of 20 activities to choose from).
2. Dig into a creative outlet
3. Recycle or donate items I no longer use and make better use of what I have
4. Go on dates with my spouse at least once a month
5. Write something for myself that isn’t a work assignment
6. Keep a gratitude journal before bed
7. Limit screen time in the evenings
8. Grow my business
9. Wake up earlier to put on makeup, which makes me feel better
10. Set one intention for my evening work sessions to get a sense of completeness

“Although there was uncertainty and worry in the past year, there’s something that’s really helped to keep me grounded,” Popso said. “When the lockdown happened in March, foundations and rituals I built upon from the foundation of my planner were all I had to create this sense of normalcy and sanity in my day. Keeping these routines within myself became a lifeline of sorts, which also helped me stay connected to the ones I love more.”