The Annual without the Review

Welcome to 2014.
 It's New Year's and I'm taking a physical rest day.  Therefore, I'm joining the "annual review" band-wagon.  However, I'm not going to be doing the review part.  Like the ever-foot-forward Ampersand, I am only looking forward.  Taking where I am in this present moment and setting my sights ahead.

To complete my review, I referenced the annual review process of James Clear.  If you aren't following him, you should be.  I like his outlook on life, and his emphasis on system over outcome.  Anyway, his review is based on the work of others, so it makes for a very nice rabbit hole.  Go click that link and have fun.

Back?  Okay.

Starting with Clear's work, I modified his themes to match where my values and areas of focus need to be.  I'll talk a little bit about why I made some of the changes I did in an upcoming post, but for now, here are my &Life Themes.

Wait, how did that get branded already?  It's that pesky mascot the ampersand again.  To live life based on the aspects the ampersand represents--sexy, imperfect, service-oriented, one-foot-forward and infinite--this is living the &Life.  And the &Life Themes are the categories I will use to plot my goals--to test decisions and investments against want I want out of life.

Rituals & habits. Building the habit (system) is more important than the fixed goal— it’s more important to become the type of person that you want to become than it is to achieve a particular result.  Maintaining the habit is forever.  Achieving the fixed goal is temporary.

Creativity & craftsmanship. There is a magic that comes from making things. I believe that it’s important to be a creator, not merely a consumer. And not just making the space—the time and effort to be creative—but taking specific effort and time for growth.  Getting better at it—building the creative muscle.  Be a better drummer, writer, artist, builder.

Service & collaboration. The idea of helping others and working with others.  Teaching, helping, serving.  Interacting.  Making something that lives because of the collaboration with others.  Learning from them.  Also, I tend to isolate so setting a category that requires interaction is good for me.

7 Dimensions of health & wellness. Being focused on improving and balancing of my emotional, spiritual, social, occupational, physical, environmental, and intellectual health.  To evaluate each action/person/thing/choice effect the 7 areas?  And then make sure that I am addressing them all positively overall.

NOTE: This slide and concept are from a class I took this past year called "Society, Science, Survival: Lessons from AMC’s The Walking Dead" at UC Irvine.  Who says pop culture isn't useful?

How About You?
So what are your defining themes?  How do you approach self-improvement or goal setting?

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