Setting Smarter Goals

How did you do with achieving your goals for the past week?  I am pleased with my progress.  Some days were more of a struggle to get the boxes checked.  And in all honesty, I fell a bit short one or two days.  I try not to beat myself up when that happens and  to look at each day as a fresh start.

If you want to increase the likelihood that you will be able to reach each one of your goals, there are a few things you should keep in mind.  You want to be sure that your goals are:

Specific - Not "I want to lose weight".  Exactly how much weight? By when? "Be happier" is not a specific goal.  "Do one thing each day that brings me joy" - closer.  Deciding on something that brings you joy and deciding to do it each day - THAT is a specific goal.

Measurable - This is why "be happier" isn't a goal.  It's not measurable.  Happier than WHAT?  How happy?  Talking to a friend or relative a certain number of times a week is measurable. Eating X servings of vegetables every day is measurable.  Walking a certain number of miles or steps per day - measurable.  If you can't measure a goal, you'll never know if you achieve it.

Attainable - Do you have the time, energy, talent, or means to meet your goal?  This doesn't mean you can't dream big!  It just means that you might need to break that seemingly impossible dream down into smaller steps, creating realistic, attainable goals that will move you closer to the bigger prize.

Last week my goals were to drink at least 80 oz of water per day, meet my step goal each day and to clean/organize in my home office for at least 15 minutes each day.  As you can see - each one of these goals meets the criteria above.  

So, how did I do?

I met my step goal each day! Yah me!!  As I said - my step goal is embarrassingly low for the time being. This is where "attainable" come into play. I know that if I set the goal higher right now, I will likely fall short, get frustrated and give up.  I have longer term goals to slowly increase the amount.  And I feel as if I'm off to a good start.  

I exceeded 80 ounces of water each day, except for Saturday - when I was one cup short.  If I had realized I was that close, I would have chugged that last cup before I went to sleep!

The only day I didn't work on organizing and cleaning my home office was Thursday.  I spent a big part of the day running errands and grocery shopping. By the time I got home, all I wanted to do was sit down and relax before starting dinner.  And that's just what I did.

My goals for this week are pretty much the same as last week.  The grand kid's summer break from school begins this week, which means I get to spend a few days each week with him.  I'm very excited about that, and I want to do a fun activity with him at least one day each week.

My goals for this week:

-  Drink 80+ ounces of water each day
-  Meet (or exceed) step goal each day
-  Clean/organize in home office for 15 minutes each day
-  Go to library and park with the grandkid


Feel free to ask me at any point during the week, how I am doing with my goals.  I'll be sharing a brief update next week before I share my new list of weekly goals.  And if you would like me to return the favor - you can share your goals in the comments!