Getting Back On Track

Can I be completely honest with y'all for a minute?  When it comes to achieving my goals - the past couple of weeks have completely kicked my behind!

I just feel like things were getting away from me.  The Man of the House had to go out of time a few times.  We went on vacation last week.  And I just generally lost my motivation somewhere along the way.

It happens. But how can we stay get back on track to reach those goals?  How do we start over - even when things seem to keep getting in the way when we just aren't feeling it?

•  Focus on the Results.  Visualize how you'll feel when you finally accomplish your goal.  Really picture it!  Every teeny, tiny little detail.  How is it going to look and feel?  Use this to inspire you to keep going.
• Ask For Help.  Find someone who can cheer you on, give you the kick in the pants that you need, and will check on your to make sure you keep moving in the right direction. 
• Break It Down into Smaller Goals.  If you're feeling overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the task ahead - break it down into smaller goals or tasks that feel more manageable.
•  Celebrate Successes.  No matter how big or small it is.  Enjoying that moment of completing a task or reaching a goal.  Feed that reward center of your brain!
• Start Where You Are.  OK... so, you've struggled.  Maybe, like me, you even gave up for a time.  That's in the past.  There's nothing you can do to change it, so stop beating yourself up over it!  Refocus on why you started in the first place and begin again!

So, who's with me?  Ready to get back into the swing of things and show those goals who is in charge?  Let's do it!

My goals for the week are:

1.  Take pictures of new items to list in my Etsy shop.
2.   Drink 100 ounces of water per day
3.   15 minutes of cleaning/organizing in my office each day
4.   Track all my food points with the Weight Watchers app

We've got this!! Feel free to ask me at any point during the week how I am doing with my goals.  What are your goals for the week?  Share in the comments!

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!  





  

A Beginner's Guide to Setting Goals

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - I'm a list maker.  I make lists for just about everything.  Mostly because if it's not written down, I'm probably going to forget it.  (anyone else? just me?)

One of my favorite lists is my list of goals.  I should say SOME of my favorites listS  - because I have more than one when it comes to goals.  I have a master list of goals. Short term, long term, realistic and outrageous - they all go here.  I have a list of monthly goals, and a list of weekly goals and usually a list of daily goals, aka: the to-do list.  I guess you could say I'm a real "goal getter".  

Now, you may be thinking to yourself  "That's great Beckey, but how can I be as goal oriented as you?  What are the basics to setting goals?"

Good question!!

First... I'm hardly an expert.  Goals get dropped or forgotten more often than I care to admit. Somedays my goal is just to get back on track with setting goals for myself.  Despite this, or maybe because of it, I can share some simple steps to start setting your own goals.

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1)  Decide what you want or what it is you are working toward.  Don't be shy here.  It doesn't matter how big, over the top or complicated it is.  Consider this your "master list".  Every dream you have can go here.  It might be as everyday as "lose 5 pounds" or "organize the closet", or as big as "own a castle".  WRITE THEM DOWN!

2) Prioritize and/or narrow it down.  What is it you want to work toward right now?  What is most important?  Which are most feasible?  This is where you admit that organizing your closet is probably more likely to happen sooner than owning a castle.  Which of the goals on that master list will you work on this year?  Now, which of THOSE will you work on this month?

3)  Tell someone!  Accountability is a really big deal.  Knowing that there is someone who is going to ask you how it's going increases the likelihood that we stick with it.

4)  Reward yourself.  When ever you achieve a goal, take time to celebrate it.  For some goals, the reward of marking it off the list may be enough. For others, you may need to really take time to enjoy the victory.  Treat yourself in some way for your hard work.  And don't forget to thank the person or people that kept you accountable along the way!

With these tips in mind - I've decided to start holding myself more accountable by sharing my weekly goals with all of you.  That's right - each and every one of you is now my accountability partner!  

My Goals for this first week in June:

-  Drink 80+ ounces of water each day:  I have been terrible about drinking enough water recently.  And with the hot, dry days we've been having - that can take a toll on the body rather quickly.  

-  Meet or exceed my step goal each day:  I'm going to be honest and say that right now the number of steps I want to walk each day is so pathetically low that I don't want to share it here.  But once I start meeting that number consistently, I will continue increasing the number of steps.

-  Spend at least 15 minutes per day cleaning and organizing in my home office:  My office is sort of out of control at the moment.  I am in the process of getting it cleaned and reorganized.  In an effort to prevent becoming overwhelmed by the task, I have set the goal to work on it a little each day. 

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 each 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!