You know those ‘year ahead’ planners that you see a lot of this time of year – workbooks which help you to decide what you want to achieve this year, featuring a calendar (with tips and pointers slotted into it) to help you plan the execution of your goals?

I fail at those.

Until recently, every year I would buy one and fill it out.

And every year I would ditch my plan within about 3 weeks. I would also feel bad that I could not stick to a plan or a resolution. I’d wonder what was wrong with me.

Yet I would also make progress in my life, as the year passed. I’d set up healthier habits and kick old unhealthy ones. I’d make progress in my professional life. I would reach many (but probably not all) of my goals. However, the process for reaching them was not a linear, ‘A to B’ one. I would sometimes wake up in the morning and have no idea what I was going to work on.

Why I Suck at New Years Resolutions

When I read Gretchen Rubin’s book The Four Tendencies, I finally understood why I was no good at following detailed plans and achieving New Year’s Resolutions.

According to Rubin, when it comes to success, there are four personality types – Upholders, Questioners, Obligers and Rebels.

I am a rebel, which means that I prefer to be free and spontaneous in how I go about achieving my goals. I like to achieve them in my own way and in my own time. When I do actually create plans and resolutions I self-sabotage – the more detailed a plan I create to achieve them, the more likely I am to ditch that plan, along with its deadlines, and do it my own way!

Yes, it is as contrary as it sounds.

Apparently, rebels are the smallest group in the population, so not many people reading this will belong to this group.

But if you are also a rebel, read on because I am going to share how I achieve and reach my goals, using my intuition and a pendulum. This method might also be helpful for you (or it might not.)

(And If you’re interested to find out which type you are…)

Take the quiz here.

My Method for Productivity

Here’s what I do to achieve my goals:

• I write out my long term goals for what I want to achieve on the top of a piece of paper
• On the same piece of paper, I write out all the actions I could take today – professionally and personally
• I tune into my Higher Self, Spirit Guides (I also invoke the guides who are involved in my business) and ask them to tell me what to do next to help me to achieve my goals
• I get out my pendulum and dowse on all the actions on my piece of paper until I settle on one
• I work on the task I was given for 25 minutes, or until it is complete
• Then I repeat the process.

Involved? Yes.

But it works for me. And most importantly, it keeps me in a state of flow and allows me to conquer any resistance towards the recommended actions straight away. Plus, I do not usually decide what is most urgent or helpful to work on right now – Spirit usually takes care of the order I need to do these tasks in, and the order always makes sense and keeps me from dropping the many balls I have to juggle in my busy life.

As a rebel, you’d think I would dislike being told what to work on now, but I think it works for me because it feels spontaneous and exciting to not know what I am going to be doing next.

How This Way of Working Protects Against Depression

I have (well managed) Seasonal Affective Disorder and am rather prone to depression. It is my default way of being when I get out of balance, and my depression is a lazy, lethargic, tired depression, which is not very helpful for getting things done.

On top of using a light box, my non-negotiable daily walk, and the occasional help of herbal remedies such as St John’s Wort, I use the method above if I’m depressed, with one difference – I add really basic stuff to my daily list, like showering, eating breakfast and doing the dishes. It stops me from getting stuck and overwhelmed. It combats procrastination and keeps me on the move.

It also makes me feel like I am making progress towards my long term goals, because I am specifically asking, what do I need to do next to achieve those goals? So I feel like what I am doing is not pointless.

Are you procrastinating, stuck, depressed, unmotivated or in a rut?

Have a business and are overwhelmed with everything you need to get done?

Or just an irritating rebel like me?

Give it a go!

Full instructions for dowsing and tuning into your guides and higher self are given in my Intuitive Awakening Course or a short version in this free e-course.

Dowsing troubleshooting tips are here.

Here are some questions for you, dear reader:

Do you normally set resolutions?

Which of the 4 tendencies is yours?

Please leave a comment if you have something to share!