The Janus Plan: A More Intentional View Of Goals This New Year

How do you decide what your goals will be in the new year? Do you go with the same goals every year, decide based on trends, or choose goals those close to you go for? Maybe you are a die-hard resolutions maker, or have sworn off resolutions talk? But, what if you explored a more intentional view of goals for this coming new year?

Wherever you land, I want you to go into this post with a completely open mind. I’m going to introduce to you a new way to think of your goals. Welcome to my review of the new book The Janus Plan: A No-Resolutions Path to Begin Your Year with Intention by Jobert E. Abueva.

My Experience Reading The Janus Plan

One of the biggest parts of The Janus Plan was how thorough the plan is when thinking about and creating your goals. It doesn’t just focus on what you want to do next, it also addresses what you’ve done up to this point.

It’s the intentionality that I believe is missing from most of the New Year’s resolutions talk. With that being said, let me introduce you to The Janus Plan.

What Is The Janus Plan

The Janus Plan gets its name from Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings, transitions, and doorways. He’s known as the god of two faces, pictured on the cover of this book. One face looking backwards to the past and the other looking forward to the future, which is exactly what we will be doing in The Janus Plan.

This plan consists of six steps. I’ll share what each step entails, as well as my favorite quote from each chapter. Are you ready? Let’s start reflecting.

Step 1: Ponder The Past - Reflecting for an Intentional View of Goals

“All decisions, even indecision, have outcomes and consequences, whether intended or unintended. “

In this first step you’ll have a few activities to choose from, reviewing journals, social posts, photos, etc. from the year, highs and lows, and more. Whether you do them all or select a few, it all culminates in having enough insight to figure out how your year really went, and give you an idea of how you want to move forward.

Step 2: Frame The Future

“ Whether through scripture or story, the act of setting goals is often a sacred one rooted in reflection, driven by intention, and shaped by the pursuit of something better.”

Now that we’ve looked at the past, let’s spend some time on how we are feeling about our life currently. Step two is all about assessing each area of our lives (career, health, relationships, finances, etc.) so that we can determine where we want to grow.

You’ll then take your findings from step one and organize them by each area. This will help us determine which areas we want to focus on first.

You’ll make goals for each area but then refine them by the end of step two. This way you aren’t trying to work on a ton of goals at once, that never leads to success.

Step 3: Nudge The Now

“Procrastination tangles our intentions, knotting up the threads of progress. But with the right tools, we can begin to unspool delay and stitch new patterns of purpose.”

As you may have guessed, this step is all about procrastination. There is nothing worse than going into a new year feeling like you have unfinished business from the year before.

This time we are getting what needs to be done completed beforehand. Whether you need to break a big task up, or play a game to get it done, this section gives you plenty of ideas to defeat your procrastination.

Step 4: Clean and Clear - New View of Intentional Goals

“Cleaning, decluttering, clearing, and detoxing aren’t just chores. They’re sacred stitches in the ritual of renewal. As we prepare to cross the threshold into a new year, these acts become symbolic gestures of release and readiness.”

Deep cleaning isn’t just meant for the springtime. I think doing it before the year ends is a great way to start a new year on a fresh slate, and clearly I’m not alone.

This section not only gives different ideas of what to clean/detox at the end of the year, but there is also a section that discusses cleaning traditions around the world. I loved that this section was included. It’s nice to see where different traditions come from and the why behind them.

Step 5: Revel In The Ritual

“When we fully embrace their significance, rituals transcend mere habit. They are reminders to be present as we celebrate life’s cycles.”

You’ve now done all the heavy lifting required of you in the Janus Plan. It’s time to celebrate. This chapter is special because it shares different New Year’s rituals that happen each year across the globe.

From watching the ball drop, eating grapes at midnight, and fireworks, there are so many fun rituals around the world. Pick a few to try as you celebrate with a new intentional view of goals on another year ending and a new one beginning.

Step 6: Revisit and Reignite

“Revisiting isn’t repetition: it’s refinement. And reigniting isn’t starting over: it’s choosing to continue with intention.”

You’ve reached the final step in the Janus Plan, congratulations! You’ve put in the work to make this new year the best one yet. As you set off to accomplish all of your goals, it’s beneficial to set up some checkpoints. 

You could do weekly, monthly, quarterly, or bi-annual reviews, or maybe a mix of a few of them. The benefits of checking in on your goals throughout the year include:

• Giving you encouragement to keep going
• Allowing you ample time to pivot when something isn’t working
• Celebrating small wins

Whether you have a dedicated journal/notebook for your goals, include your reflections in your planner, or have another way to do these reviews, they all are great ways to remember to do them. Don’t underestimate the importance of this final step of the Janus Plan.

Why The Janus Plan Works

As you can tell this is quite the thorough process. It’s not something that I would rush through. You don’t have to have it all done by January 1st. You can put the Janus Plan in action at any point in the year.

The Janus Plan is so different because typical New Year's resolutions miss out on it's intentionality. By looking back and bringing what you learned from last year into the new year, you have a better chance at success reaching your goals. 

What’s great about this book as well is that it doesn’t just leave you to go through this plan by yourself. Not only are the steps thorough and activities woven throughout the book, you’ll also get access to resources online when you buy The Janus Plan.

It’s all set up to where you can be super intentional during this process. All you have to do is start.

Final Thoughts on a New View of Intentional Goals

What do you think of The Janus Plan? Will you be buying the book and putting it into practice as you think about the new year coming up? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

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