Your Purposeful Year-End Review!

Christi Hegstad December 5th, 2024

If you could describe your 2024 in three words, which words would you choose?

We’re often quick to categorize an entire year as either ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ Recency bias plays a role, too – your past month or two might color your view of the entire year. In actuality, however, the past 365 days have likely been filled with much more nuance.

So before we enter into 2025, I encourage you to review 2024 purposefully – both to provide an accurate picture of the year you’re wrapping up, as well as to inspire meaningful direction for the one ahead. My latest Reading And Purpose newsletter includes 24 prompts to help you do just that – feel free to use them as you celebrate your wins, honor your growth, acknowledge your perseverance, and set the stage for a new year filled with meaning and purpose!

You can find Reading And Purpose here. Enjoy!

30 Journaling Prompts for Personal Growth

Christi Hegstad November 1st, 2024

Whenever I talk about journaling, someone will invariably ask:

“What do you actually write about?”

A lifelong journaler, my honest response would probably have to be some combination of ‘everything and nothing at all.’ Which I realize is no help to someone wanting to engage in their own journaling practice!

In that vein, I’ve been sharing daily journaling prompts via my Reading And Purpose newsletter, and I’ve just released 30 more – one for each day of November, if you choose. If you’d like these prompts to support your journaling practice, simply subscribe to Reading And Purpose here and access them immediately!

Key Takeaways From Meditations For Mortals

Christi Hegstad October 23rd, 2024

I went into Oliver Burkeman’s brand-new release, Meditations For Mortals, hesitantly curious. I loved his earlier book, Four Thousand Weeks – so much so, in fact, that it appeared in my top 10 of the year when I read it in 2022.

So although I knew I enjoyed his writing, I was unsure about two things in particular:

First, would it simply be a revisiting of Four Thousand Weeks? I can always benefit from a review of those principles, but I didn’t want to spend precious reading time at this moment (nor precious dollars for the hardcover release) if it turned out to repeat an earlier book.

Second, I wasn’t sure about the format. With the exception of my current book of daily devotionals, a one-essay-per-day isn’t my preferred way to read a book. With 28 entries, and mention of a four week reading experience in the subtitle, I didn’t know if this would work for me.

I’m pleased to report that both concerns were completely unfounded.

Burkeman’s unique voice makes this stand out in the vast sea of time management resources – and even from his own earlier works. And I read the entire thing within a few sittings, still easily rating it five out of five stars.

You can read my full thoughts and book review in my latest Reading And Purpose article!

When Goals Make You Feel Worse

Christi Hegstad October 9th, 2024

“I’d rather not set goals at all. That would feel better than setting them and falling short.”

I hear this or something like it fairly regularly, and my heart breaks a little each time. Goals – at least how I view them – are meant to inspire, challenge, and stretch us, not weigh us down.

But, I am also not immune to the experience of feeling somewhat defeated in the achiever experience. You may remember me writing about this earlier this year, in fact. So, I’m not here to tell you to just grin and bear it, but I’m also not here to tell you to give up on goals, either.

Maybe one of these three ideas can help you find a common ground:

Gain Over Gap

You may have seen me mention a goal-related book, 10x Is Easier Than 2x, in my reading wrap-up last month. And while I enjoyed that book, I’d actually recommend reading the authors’ earlier book, The Gap And The Gain, in this instance.

The core principle: Pay more attention to how far you’ve come than how far you have yet to go.

Revisit this as often as you find helpful. And if that means daily, so be it.

Supporter Over Dictator

If you create a long to-do list each day, don’t allow yourself to veer from it whatsoever, and feel ‘less than’ when you don’t complete every single item on it, your to-do list is essentially dictating your life.

To-do lists, and goals, are there to support our accomplishment, inspire us into action, and encourage our focus – not boss us around as if we don’t have free will or independent thought.

Consider placing your goals in the passenger seat. They can offer direction, provide navigation, and help guide you through detours, but you get to drive the car.

Purpose Over Check Mark

Don’t get me wrong: I love checking things off the list as much as the next person! So much so that I’ll sometimes add completed tasks at the end of the day just to get the satisfaction of checking them off. But I also recognize there’s more to goals – and more to life – than simply checking the boxes.

If your goals feel bound in shoulds, check marks, or ’empty wins,’ revisit the foundation. Goals that align with your purpose, and being able to consistently link your actions to your overarching ‘why,’ provide the best motivation I know.

Plus, even if you fall short of your goal, you’re still intentionally honoring your purpose, which brings its own kind of unshakeable fulfillment.

While you can apply all three of these ideas to your current goals, I definitely encourage you to proactively apply them to your 2025 goals. And now – before the hustle and bustle of holidays and year-end activity is upon us – is the best time to begin setting those goals for 2025! I have a handful of spots left in the Bold Goal Bonanza, so if you’d like the tools, coaching, and expert support in setting purposeful goals and achieving them in meaningful ways, be sure to enroll before the spaces fill.

May your goals inspire you into action and guide you to the difference you’re here to make!

Key Takeaways From Unreasonable Hospitality

Christi Hegstad October 8th, 2024

“How do you make the people who work for you and the people you serve feel seen and valued? How do you give them a sense of belonging? How do you make them feel part of something bigger than themselves? How do you make them feel welcome?”

– Will Guidara

Although my experience working in a restaurant spans only a handful of years in college, I still found great value – for myself and my coaching clients – from Will Guidara’s account of his unique restaurant experience in Unreasonable Hospitality.

You can read my review and actionable takeaways in my latest Reading And Purpose newsletter!

The Weekly 3-2-1

Christi Hegstad October 7th, 2024

Looking for a purposeful + productive way to map out the week? Give my Weekly 3-2-1 system a try:

As you create your schedule for the week, designate time blocks for

3 Top Priorities

2 Long-Term Goals

1 Fun Activity

This blend can help you accomplish immediate needs while also ensuring you’re making progress on your longer-term (important, but perhaps not urgent) goals. And positive psychology reminds us it’s good for our wellbeing to have something on our calendar to look forward to – hence the fun activity.

The amount of time you allow for each of these may vary depending on the week. But the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’ve designated and blocked time in your calendar for them can work wonders on a Monday (and every day thereafter!).

Wishing you a purposeful + productive week ahead!

One Goal, Three Tips

Christi Hegstad October 1st, 2024

What is *one thing* you’d love to achieve by the end of the year?

As we enter the 4th quarter of the year, what are you doing to make it happen?

Here are 3 quick ideas that may help:

1. START A GOAL BOOK.

One easy-to-access place where you can jot down action steps, track progress, brainstorm ideas, record helpful tips, and add whatever motivates you. It could be in the notes app of your phone or a cute little portable notebook – somewhere to keep your goal front-and-center, present, and focused.

2. COMMIT TO GOING ALL IN.

Not in the exhausting, constant, burning-the-candle-at-both-ends sense, but in the mindset, commitment, believe-in-yourself sense. There is a big difference between ‘Someday, somehow, this would be nice’ and ‘Here’s my goal, here’s my action plan, and here’s me taking my next step!’

3. CLARIFY YOUR WHY.

One way to think about this: try adding ‘so I can _____’ to the end of your goal. You want to make more sales so you can…what? You want to reach a fitness level so you can…what? You want to finish your book so you can…what? This small addition can make a big difference in your purposeful motivation.

In the month of October, I have a handful of rare one-time coaching sessions set aside – to help you finish the year strong or set up 2025 for meaningful success. Check out the Bold Goal Bonanza and enroll if you’d like my help making it happen!

Happy October! Happy Q4! And here’s to your meaningful success!

5 Ideas For Enhancing Meaning + Purpose In The Workplace

Christi Hegstad September 26th, 2024

Creating a culture of meaning + purpose isn’t a one-time to-do list item – but it doesn’t necessarily require a complete overhaul, either. Here are five ideas your workplace could implement to begin enhancing a greater sense of meaning + purpose:

1. Connect the dots with organizational values.

For example, highlight one of your company’s values each month. Then at the monthly department meeting, invite team members to share examples of how they saw people putting that value into action.

2. Launch a book club.

But rather than ‘do more in less time’ types of books, encourage titles focused on *personal* growth. Topics like mindset, strengths, creativity, or work/life balance often spark great insights.

3. Encourage writing individual Purpose Statements.

It’s powerful when people see how their own personal purpose aligns with their organizational one! See my blog yesterday – as well as the Write Your Purpose Statement home study course – for help with this.

4. Bookend meetings with positivity.

Consider starting meetings with each participant sharing a quick win, and ending with everyone sharing a takeaway, next inspired action, or ‘something I learned today.’ This can set the tone, enhance communication, and offer a sense of connection.

5. Ask individuals what makes work meaningful.

‘Meaningful work’ means different things to different people. Try asking in your 1:1 meetings what they find meaningful, or encourage reflection on the topic. Meaningful work doesn’t automatically come with a certain title or role – it depends on our values, purpose, and the like.

How else might you enhance meaning + purpose at work? Reflect on ideas that come to mind, share thoughts below, and feel free to contact me if I can assist you/your workplace in this important endeavor. It truly can be a game-changer!

I’m So Glad I Finally . . .

Christi Hegstad September 18th, 2024

“I’m so glad I finally ______________.”

On December 31, as you look back over your year, how do you want to complete that sentence? What is the one thing you most want to be able to say?

Are you on track?

As of this writing, we have 15 weeks left in 2024. Fifteen weeks is plenty of time to achieve something significant – but only if we’re intentional about it. Today, I want to help you kickstart that intentionality.

A vague vision leads to vague results, and having too many goals can lead to spreading ourselves too thin. If you’ve felt at all like you’re floundering this year, or you’re incredibly busy but not actually moving the needle forward, it could be due to an unclear vision. A clear, focused, purposeful picture of where we’re headed tends to lead to clear, focused, purposeful, results-producing actions.

So let’s start by gaining that clarity.

Fill In Your Blank

Seriously, how would you like to complete that sentence?

“I’m so glad I finally _____________.”

Pull out a piece of paper and jot down whatever comes to mind. Your thoughts might go immediately to areas like health and fitness, finances, leadership growth, spiritual development, or enhancing relationships. Excellent.

But don’t rule out the perhaps lesser-considered areas, such as:

Mindset

Focus

Meaning / Fulfillment at work

Confidence

Time / Energy Management

Productivity

Purpose

You can create a vision and set goals within these areas – in fact, a good portion of my coaching focuses on this! You might be surprised how truly building your confidence or up-leveling your time / energy management can actually clear the path to countless other goals.

Start Here, Start Clear

Today, I encourage you to brainstorm a few possibilities for completing the above sentence. Over the next day or two, choose the one that matters to you the most.

Let this serve your guide as you craft the action plan that will get you from here to there.

For additional tools and support to then make this happen, be sure to check out the opportunity below! I’d love to connect with you at the end of the year, hear you say what you’re so glad you finally achieved, and celebrate right along with you!

Enrollment now open and limited spaces available in the Bold Goal Bonanza – a rare one-time, one-session coaching opportunity! Click here for details.

Purpose, Hobbies, and Meaningful Action

Christi Hegstad September 11th, 2024

The official seal of approval is in: My furry nephew liked the cross stitch I made!

After a several-year hiatus, I recently rekindled my cross stitch hobby and am having SO much fun with it! I’ve also been exploring this and other hobbies through the lens of purpose and finding some fascinating connections. For example:

Passion

One component of purpose, how I define it, is passion. And one big clue of passion is losing track of time while engaging in the activity. This is definitely the case with me and cross stitch!

Values

One of my core values is growth. This year I’ve been choosing a cross stitch ‘focus piece’ each month, then taking a before and after picture at the start and end of the month. I know that I continually grow as a stitcher with each piece, and it’s cool to see a visual representation of that occurring along the way, too. (Especially when some pieces take years to complete!)

Involving Others

While purpose is very personal, we do not live in a bubble – and our purpose typically involves something greater than ourselves, including others. In this instance, my hobby involved my furry nephew and his family, friends I stitch with, people who have seen me stitching this piece, stitchers I’ve learned from, the small business on Etsy that I purchased the pattern from…even you, since you’re reading this post!

Part of my Purpose Statement is to inspire positive action – so if this prompts you to engage in one of your favorite hobbies, I’d love to know!

Purpose is with us at work, at home, in line at the hardware store, driving down the freeway, and in the midst of our hobbies. If you’d like to uncover and write your Purpose Statement, contact me about coaching – I’d love to help!

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