A Practice: The Hope Worksheet

Instructions

Use this worksheet to reinforce hope for a meaningful goal in each area of your life. For each goal, identify pathways and ways to build agency. If you get stuck, try talking with others or using technology to broaden your ideas of what’s possible with your strengths.

“Example responses are provided in italics to provide you with guidance and inspiration.”

Personal Life Goal

The goals you set to direct your life engagement, sense of meaning, and overall well-being

Your Goal: What is a personal goal you are hopeful about?

“I’m hopeful about having a joyful and meaningful wedding. I want this season of engagement and celebration to strengthen my relationship and amplify the love and support of the people who matter most to me.”

Pathways: List a few ways you can move toward this goal.

“Planning incrementally and well in advance to reduce stress and feel prepared. Creating meaningful moments in the ceremony, gestures of respect, and in the guest experience. Connecting with my partner along the way.”

Agency: How will you remind yourself that you have the power to pursue this goal?

“Celebrating small successes, every choice towards this goal should be appreciated and uplifted. Connecting each day with my partner to build hopeful anticipation. Asking others about our family traditions”

Professional Life Goal

The goals you set to support your professional (or academic) journeys

Your Goal: What professional development or career goals are you hopeful about?

“I’m hopeful about making steady and focused progress on my dissertation. I want to stay connected to the deeper meaning behind my research and take consistent steps toward completing this important milestone.”

Pathways: What are some possible steps or resources you can use to achieve this?

“Take walks to reflect on my topic and connect it to my broader career purpose. Scheduling specific time to make progress. Setting specific and achievable goals given my time and resources. Checking in with mentors.”

Agency: How can you stay motivated and confident in your ability to succeed?

“Knowing that the foundation is laid, and all that lies ahead is the execution, which I have succeeded in before. My family and community’s support–connect with them about the study. Believing in myself.”

Community or Relationship Goal

The goals you set to strengthen your positive connections with others

Your Goal: What community-oriented or relational goal are you hopeful about?

“I’m hopeful about being generous and giving during the holiday season. I want to look for many small, but meaningful ways to offer support, kindness, connection, and time to others.”

Pathways: How can you put this goal into action?

“Identify local initiatives and commit to volunteering. Giving money, food, or clothes to unhoused individuals. Regularly checking in with older or distant relatives to offer connection, hope, and care.”

Agency: What will help you stay inspired and connected to this goal?

“Connecting generosity with my family making it a shared effort with accountability structure. Having resources on hand when I go places (money in wallet; clothes in car). Reflecting on my life’s purpose.”

Spiritual Goal

The goals you set to develop your spiritual health and contribute to faithful actions

Your Goal: What spiritual or faith-based goal are you hopeful about?

“I’m hopeful about cultivating the Advent virtues of hope, peace, joy, and love every day. I want to pause each week to reflect on these themes, recognize where they show up around me, and intentionally live them out.”

Pathways: What spiritual practices or resources can help you pursue this goal?

“Reflect daily with the intention of noticing how hope, peace, joy, and love are showing up or being lived out. Share this reflection ritual with my fiance as a way of deepening both gratitude and spiritual awareness.”

Agency: How can you stay encouraged and faithful as you work toward this spiritual goal?

“Responding to challenges with hope and love. Remaining faithful to this goal by expanding on our nightly ‘three good things’ practice to include moments of self-transcendence feel and shared spiritual reflection.”