Posts tagged goals
What’s Your New Year’s Resolution?
Jan 3rd
It’s the beginning of a new year. Did you set a resolution for yourself? It’s easy to blow off resolutions because, as they say, “New Year’s Resolutions always fail.” But it doesn’t have to be that way. Typically, people will set resolutions such as “I’m going to lose weight this year,” or “I’m going to spend less money on _____________.” This is the very reason that resolutions fail – there’s no plan on how to make it happen.
In my own family, we struggle with making the right decisions when it comes healthy living. We’ve had many ups and downs, and always have to jump back on the wagon. It finally occurred to me that we need to have a plan in place! Taking my own advice in a previous post (click HERE to read it), I developed some measurable goals that we can work on as a family this coming year. We will evaluate our progress at some point during the year, and even come up with some sort of reward at certain intervals – these details have not yet been decided. Here are just a few of them:
- Exercise three times or more each week – not a specific workout, just being active.
- Eat at home a minimum of five days a week.
- Stock healthier snacks at home, which are readily available at all times.
- Eat breakfast every day (after all, it’s the most important meal of the day!).
These goals will be challenging at times, but perfectly doable, which is another important piece of setting goals. A goal should be challenging, but not something unattainable. What are your resolutions for the new year?
Setting Goals
Dec 17th
What is the key to making things happen for yourself? Setting goals! If you have any big dream or project, you must have a plan of action. Think about a time when you decided you wanted to do something of significance – it can be work-related or personal. Did it get completed or did you flounder? The action of setting goals does not simply apply to your work life. You can use the same steps to accomplish things at home, too. Below you will find some important things to keep in mind – at the end you will find an example of a goal. The concept of setting goals can be beneficial, especially at this time of year when people are thinking of their New Year’s Resolution. That resolution will not stick without a plan!
- What are your dreams/goals? Get them out of your brain and write them down!
- What obstacles do you have which might get in your way? Is there a way around them? (Not having enough time, too many things in the closet)
- Is your goal something that you feel very strongly about, that you truly believe in, and are ready to commit to?
- Take your obstacles in mind and set a date. If you don’t have a deadline, the goal may never be met.
- What are the steps you must take in order to make the goal happen? Write those down too. Break the steps down into small, doable chunks.
- Is there someone close to you who can share in this experience who can help to keep you accountable?
- How will you determine if the goal has been met or is only partially finished? It must have a definitive ending point and be measurable.
- Create a document which outlines your goal, deadline, measurement as well as a bulleted list of your action steps.
- Tape this document wherever it will be seen on a regular basis, whether it be next to your computer on the fridge, etc.
- Make sure that your accountability “buddy” follows up with you on a regular basis to see how things have progressed.
- Once you have processed through all of your action steps and have met the goal, it’s time to celebrate! It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to see something through from start to finish!
Example: Closet Reorganization
Deadline: Two Weeks
Measurement of Completion: I will be able to walk through my closet without stepping on anything and will be able to easily find the items I’m looking for.
Possible Obstacles: Not having enough time, possibly needing to consult with a closet professional, not having the financial resources to properly reorganize the closet.
Action Steps (in a bulleted list): Research closet systems, empty closet, decide which items to donate/keep/throw away, wash any clothing which was on the floor, purchase closet system which best meets the need as well as any necessary storage containers
