Happy New Year!! I can’t believe it not only a new year but a new decade!!! I don’t know about you, but that makes me more motivated than ever! Whether you believe in making resolutions, affirmations, or goals, it is time to be proactive!! Life passes us by so quickly and we need to actively take advantage of the time we have to accomplish what we want in our lifetime. And it’s never too late to start. Even though the first day of the New Year is typically a starting off point for most, you can start achieving your goals anytime! Each and every day is a new day, so make the most of them, and make every moment count. And only regret what you don’t do, not what you try to do.
We all have goals but sometimes obstacles can get in our way to achieve them. Everyday goals like chores, errands, and paying bills typically get accomplished; it’s the short and long term goals that tend to go on the back burner. Take me for instance. Last year I had a ton of motivation at the beginning of the year and made some pretty lofty goals, but then I was re-diagnosed with breast cancer and many of my priorities changed and many of my goals weren’t accomplished.
But this year is going to be different! And I am outlining an organizational system I use year after year to help me accomplish my goals. First and foremost, my first piece of advice is to write your goals down. Sometimes I get an idea and I often forget it as the day or week goes on because I didn’t write it down. This includes items to add to my grocery list, too. The most important part to remember is not to wing it. Be intentional. Be mindful. And hustle! It will take perseverance, determination, dedication, and effort to achieve your goals this year. And you need to be prepared. Not only will this help you accomplish what you want, it will help you be less anxious while getting it all done! If you aren’t prepared, you will start to feel overwhelmed, and end up getting nothing done!
I am a sucker for office supplies, especially organizational ones like post-its and planners. So buy a journal or a planner to keep your life organized. Make lists. Make notes. I also love to be inspired, motivated, encouraged, and supported. So find some accountability partners that will keep you accountable all year long! And wish big, make a goal, and create a plan! You have a blank canvas to paint! What will you make? What colors will you choose?
Below is a way I have learned to implement my goals and successfully achieve them. I hope it works for you, too! Moms are wired to multi-task, but studies have shown that focusing on one goal at a time will help you accomplish more than if you tried a little of this and a little of that at any given time.
And here is my challenge for you. Make a list of goals using the SMART method this week. The SMART Method is an effective way to achieve your goals. Take it one day at a time, then a week at a time, then a month at a time. And then choose only 1-3 goals to accomplish for the year. If you achieve all of your goals early on in the year, make more! I only recommend not to put them off – saying to yourself that you have 11 more months to figure it all out – no procrastinating! Life happens and many factors beyond our control may influence whether we accomplish certain goals, so forgive yourself if a few goals slip through the cracks.
S: Specific (make your goal as specific and clearly defined as possible and do not leave any room for loopholes)
M: Measurable (make sure your goal is easily measured when it is completed with tangible evidence – leave no gray areas uncovered)
A: Attainable (set yourself up for success and make sure your goal is something you can realistically achieve. Challenge yourself but also start with small goals first before flying to the moon)
R: Relevant or Realistic (make sure your goal is relevant or realistic to what you can achieve in your life right now)
T: Timely (set a date to achieve your goal by with some sense of urgency so you will feel some pressure and responsibility to get it done)
This was a list of goals I made for 2019 and next to it I marked the status and whether I reached the goal or not yet. I say not yet, because I still intend to reach them! I like to set up my goals for the day, for the week, for the month, quarterly, and yearly.
Daily:
Get up one hour earlier each morning before the kids wake up – I was doing this for a while but then the time change threw me off and I hate getting up when it’s still dark. Plus I am a late bird and I need to get in the habit of not staying up so late so I can actually get enough sleep before I wake up super early!
Have more intentional quiet time with God – I have been doing this! And I have been doing daily morning Bible time with the kids every morning!
Weekly:
Workout 3x/week – Had some obstacles with this goal this past year. My surgery put me out for a long time and I wasn’t allowed to really work out for about six months. With that and my hours at my job combined with my parenting responsibilities prevented me from this goal, but I have a gym membership now, I am healed from surgery, and I am paying extra to take the kids to the gym with me, so now I have nothing stopping me!
Meal Plan for the week in advance – I typically do this on a weekly basis!
Plan activities and crafts for the week in advance – I did this over the summer when the kids were home, but I need to get better with this during the school year!
Monthly:
Read a new book each month – I did this for a few months, but I wasn’t consistent. I really want to get into this habit again!
Print and backup documents and photos – I am horrible with this but there should be no excuse for this goal. I need to get on this stat!
Quarterly:
Date Nights: minimum 1x/quarter – Technically we achieved this. We had more date nights this past year than in years past but we need to get better with this…we don’t have family nearby that can watch the kids and honestly, it’s so expensive to have a proper date on top of a babysitter, but our marriage needs to be more of a priority.
Volunteer/Donate: minimum 1x/quarter – I have been doing this in one way or another!
Yearly:
Publish a Book – This was my biggest goal of the year and the one that went out the window the moment I was diagnosed. This is a HUGE priority this year!
Renew Passports – We did this!!!!! International travel here we come! 🙂
Run a 10k – My surgery largely impacted achieving the goal. But it’s top of my list this year!
Go on a 5+ day vacation – Nope. We had some weekends away, but 2020 will be the year of the vacation. We haven’t had one in about 5 years, so I am determined to make it happen this year!
And now, for my 202o goals!!!!
Daily:
Get up 30 minutes each morning before the kids wake up to have quiet time with God
Post on social media and catch up engaging on posts before the kids wake up or after they go to bed
Keep up with dishes each day and have a clean kitchen each morning when I wake up
Weekly:
Workout 3x/week!
Provide weekly parenting tips on social media!
Provide a weekly newsletter to email subscribers!
Provide less ads and more personal content on social media!
Take 2 days off a week from my job I work just to focus on being a mom/wife!
Save 2% of our total earnings each week for retirement, college funds, family travel, and savings!
Monthly:
Read a new book each month!
Print and backup documents and photos each month!
Have one date night each month!
Publish 1x blog each month based on research!
Quarterly:
Go to Disneyland 4x/year!
Speak at a conference 4x/year!
Take a long day trip or a weekend away 4x/year!
Be on television 4x/year!
Conduct parenting/therapy workshops 4x/year!
Publish a post on the TODAY Show Parenting Team website 4x/year
Yearly:
Publish a Book!
Start a Podcast!
Run a 10k!
Go on a 5+ day vacation!
Increase my yearly brand earnings by 50%!
What are some of your goals? I’d love to hear about them and support you!
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