Are you ready to make 2020 your year of action? Of everyday climate action, as well as the year that you gather the skills and habits you need to live a permaculture life – one that nourishes you, your family and your community?

Great! We would love to help you make that happen.

And so we’re going to make 2020 the year of Permaculture Living, here at Milkwood – we are going to be sharing practical, doable skills and habits ALL YEAR – that you can use in your home and out in the big wide world to help take action on our climate crisis – while also making life better at your place.

You can learn with us right here, each week. Sound like a plan?

(A small note that due to our experience in the recent bushfires, we are a little late starting this year. But we’re here now! And so very ready to make even more change, with you)

So – where do we begin? How can you ensure that your good intentions of new habits and commitments in January don’t fizzle out in the face of February overwhelm?

Creating a personal goal statement for 2020 is a great place to start – don’t worry, we have a worksheet below, to help you out.

At this point in the year, before we get to the juicy stuff of new skills and habits, we want you to pause and think. What gets your heart racing? What sort of actions, if taken, will lead to real and lasting change in your life? How can you provide for your needs, while enhancing your community and the environment around you?

When you clearly articulate your goals, you create a powerful tool to help you make decisions about your life. Goals help us keep focus, and keep us accountable.

People who commit to goals, especially by writing them down, are far more likely to achieve them.

The power of goal setting is especially true in times of crisis and upheaval.

We want 2020 to be a big year of change, and action on climate, but also a year where we all learn to take care of each other better. To build community. To make personal changes that nurture us, without causing harm. There’s going to be a LOT of things you can chose to do – and the potential for overwhelm is real… so – how will you stay on track? This is where a personal goal statement can help.

The goals you choose for your personal goal statement could be linked to global and/or local issues, like reducing CO₂ emissions, helping your local river back to health, supporting local sustainable food producers, planting meadows on nature strips, reducing plastic waste … the only limits are your imagination, your skillset, and the time and resources you have available. Don’t forget to take care of yourself in this goal statement, too.

Which areas of your life do you want to change? And what greater change do you want to make?

Once you figure these things out, you’ll be better armed to choose new skills and habits which will make a lasting difference, for you.

If this all sounds a bit tricky, don’t worry! We’ve created a worksheet to help you identify which areas of your life you want to focus on, and how to write a goal statement that flows from that.

Once you’ve completed your personal goal statement, you will have a powerful tool for change in your hands. You will be much better armed to make informed decisions, both large and small.

From now on, when you are making big or confusing decisions, re-read your personal goal. When you’re considering going for a promotion, or buying a new appliance, when you’re thinking about taking on a volunteer role or getting rid of your car, take a moment to consider your personal goal statement.

If the action you’re about to take helps your personal goal statement to become a reality this year, then commit to it.

And if that action doesn’t align with your personal goal statement, take a moment. Maybe you should re-consider the action, amend it so it fits what you really want a little better, or even let it pass.

Because choosing to saying no, even though it can be scary, fundamentally makes more room in your life to say YES – to more things that matter.

Yes! This is how you make space for saying yes to good ideas, actions, new skills and opportunities that truly matter to you. Saying yes to things that help. And heal. Both you, and our world.

If you’d like to dive deeper into this knowledge, one pathway is our Permaculture Living course – a 12-week live online program, to kickstart your permaculture life. Get the skills you need to start living like it matters – with David Holmgren, co-originator of Permaculture, and the Milkwood crew (that’s us)!

Alternatively, you can follow along with our #PermacultureLiving2020 blogpost series right here, for free! Make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter too, so you get all the actions and inspirations we’ll be sharing this year delivered right to your inbox.

Care to share your personal goal statement with the world? We’d love to hear what you come up with. Or, of course, if you have any questions about setting a personal goal, we’re happy to help. Use the comments below x

The post How to create a Personal Goal Statement for 2020 appeared first on Milkwood: permaculture courses, skills + stories.