Aligned Goal Setting for an Abundant Life: Introducing the Matria Life Chart
From Burnout to Alignment: My Personal Journey
Remember in 2021 when everyone was talking about “The Great Resignation?” I sure do. I like to think I started the trend, having resigned from my corporate job in late Spring 2021 just before the idea went mainstream. I remember sitting in my living room at my ‘work-from-home’ desk, inches away from my kitchen and an arm’s reach from my fully-stocked bar, daydreaming about quitting my job. I imagined the feeling of flying to Italy and letting the summer unfold, free from the chains of corporate deadlines and endless zoom calls. And just a few weeks later, I made that dream a reality.
Fast forward to the fall and I was living a whole new life. I was working part-time for a sailing company (in sales for sails ⛵️), living nomadically with friends and family, hopping aboard boat ⛵️ after boat ⛵️ enjoying idyllic weeks at sea and, for the first time ever, having no real goal in sight. It was a stark departure from the structure of my New York corporate life, and offered a chance to live untethered to the city’s demanding rhythms.
“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” – Yogi Berra
I was inspired by the possibilities nestled within Yogi Berra’s quote, anchored by the fact that I wanted to be someplace — anyplace — other than my work-from-home desk. Yet as the months went on, I started to feel rudderless, and my favorite quote melted into a haunting one: “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up in some weird places.”
It was time to figure out where I was going.
I took the first step by defining my core values and was ready to get my life in order.
But what was the next step? The blank Google doc wasn’t creating itself, and I felt stuck in this place of unknowing. I questioned leaving my job and all that I had learned in those years — which led me to an idea: what if I use the strategic planning framework from work to create my own plan?
If you’ve ever held a corporate job, you’ve likely been a part of the company’s strategic planning process. A well-run company has a clearly defined vision, mission and set of values. They have a long-term strategic plan and set goals annually to move the organization towards that plan. Those goals then inform strategic initiatives, departmental goals, and finally, individual goals.
I realized I spent so much time and energy planning the future of other people’s businesses and no time planning my own life. It was time to harness what I learned at work to set me on my own course.
the magic
While I was inspired by corporate, I also didn’t spend months on my own personal and spiritual journey just to rely on a corporate playbook. Nope. The approach had to blend the masculine with the feminine. It had to be structured, yet creative. Goal-oriented, yet full of dreams. Organized enough to drive action and accountability, yet inspired enough to make it exciting. Repeatable, yet personal. It had to offer a chance for personal reflection, self-study and visualization. I infused more and more of what I learned until it felt like the perfect blend of my experiences in the office and at sea.
The Matria Life Chart Framework
And then I got to work. I created my first life chart with an intentional focus on Love, Health, Career, Personal Finances, and Environment.
I built out a goal in each area and defined actionable steps that I could do over the next 12-months in each area. It’s so fun looking back at this life chart and seeing all the progress made in each area. Here are some of the goals, and some outcomes that I set in summer of 2021:
Love: stop talking to my ex
Why: This may sound silly, but it was important to me. I had just set a long-term goal be in a healthy partnership. It suddenly became clear that talking to my ex, someone who didn’t want the things I wanted, was holding me back.
Results: I was tempted, but never reached back out to him. I felt empowered by having written this down. Texting him would have been a betrayal of what I truly wanted, and that made it easier to move on. By the end of the year, I was in a healthy relationship. While it wasn’t my long-term match, it set me on a positive path.
Health: lower my alcohol intake
Why: to have a clearer mind, and manage endometriosis pain
Results: Alcohol has been a big part of my social life. I’ve tried to cut back in the past, but this was the first time I made a commitment to do so. Since setting this goal, I have cut back on alcohol significantly. I no longer have an at-home bar. I got really comfortable being ‘out’ and not drinking. And it feels great. I definitely have a cleared mind and overall feel healthier. I’m no saint though, and when I choose to indulge, I still enjoy it!
…to empowering others
This work has become the cornerstone of my transformative coaching program. Clients arrive craving purpose, balance, and change, often grappling with overwhelm and uncertainty. They emerge from our work not only aligned with their true selves, but also armed with a clear roadmap and the confidence to manifest their aligned future.
While I love working 1:1 with my clients, my dream has always been to share this framework at scale and to give more people the tools to create intentional, aligned and abundant lives.
Enroll in the Matria Life Chart Course
It’s time to bring this dream to life.
The Matria Life Chart course is now live! Matria Life Chart will guide you to create aligned and actionable goals for a successful year. This is a new way of goal setting – one that’s free of resolutions and full of aligned action.
Take the first step toward aligned action and enroll today.
Cheers & love,
Michelle Casazza
Founder & CEO, Matria
