Goals – Page 25

Categories: Goals

My Goal-Setting Process for 2016

I love goals. I think that’s quite apparent from this blog, as I set yearly goals and monthly goals and I have been doing so since I started writing here in 2009. I just think there’s something really fun about setting goals, about envisioning the things you want to achieve.

I don’t set goals because there’s any part of me that needs to be fixed. On a day to day basis, I am generally happy with my life and proud of what I have accomplished with the odds that have always been stacked against me.

But life isn’t perfect and I’m not the best version of myself yet. Can I just admit that and admit that yes, I want to be better tomorrow than I am today. I have areas of my life that I need to work on. Some of that work will happen in therapy and some of that work happens with me taking serious, deliberate action to achieve my goals in order to live my best life.

Lately, though, I feel as though I have not been as intentional with the goals I set nor have I been putting in the work to achieve the goals I make. It feels as if I’m setting these goals just to set them, you know?

I want to change that in 2016. One of my themes for this year is “deliberate action.” What I mean by this is I want to be very deliberate and mindful about how I am spending my time and my energy. I want to set goals that get me closer to where I want to be. I want to spend my time doing the things that bring me joy, peace, and fulfillment. I have very specific plans for this year and I want to come to the end of it feeling good about the choices I made and the goals I accomplished.

So, I made a list of long-term yearly goals. And then I took that list of goals and I figured out what I wanted to focus on during the first quarter of the year. Because I can’t focus on all of the goals. I can only focus on some of them.

After making my yearly goals, I drafted up a little worksheet to brainstorm what goals I wanted to attack during the first quarter. (My nerdiness when it comes to goals has reached new heights this year, and it makes me the happiest.)

So, let’s talk about the brainstorming session. I started with my main goal, which is to finish my novel and prepare it for publication. (Side note: even though I had written more than 70k words in my novel last year, I felt the need to change up my story a bit because the conflict between my two main characters didn’t feel authentic. It’s going to require some major rewrites, but the story will be much stronger because of it.)

I know I want to have my novel completely written and ready for the lengthy editing process by the end of June, which puts me at writing 100,000 words between now and then. But I also need to rework the outline I had written, which is my focus for January. So, I decided that my Quarter 1 goal for this category is to finish outlining this new version of my novel and to write 40,000 words. (Obviously, Quarter 2’s goal is already set in stone: write 60,000 words.)

From there, I broke this large quarterly goal into three monthly goals. So, this is what it ended up looking like:

Now, it was easy to figure out my focus for my main goal because it’s just one goal. What does this goal-setting process look like for the other categories that have multiple goals I want to complete? Well, this is where the fun starts!

Let’s focus on the health and fitness goals I want to achieve this year. This year, I want to lose 20 lbs, drink more water and less soda, exercise consistently, start therapy, and to figure out what is causing my nighttime congestion. That’s a lot of goals! But it feels less crazy when I break it down into what exactly I want to achieve this quarter and how it works out on a monthly basis.

First, I knew I needed to set a goal of losing 5 lbs in order to stay on pace to lose 20 lbs this year. I also wanted to start working on my exercise and daily water drinking habits, as these are the two habits I want to really focus on in 2016. I also had to start figuring out this dang nighttime congestion this quarter because I am very tired of it. So, with all that in mind, here’s what I came up with:

So, you can see that I’ve broken down these goals into manageable, actionable steps. Step One is January, in which I am solely focused on drinking 16 oz of water a day and exercising three times a week. Baby, baby, baby steps.

Step Two in February adds in using a neti pot (in the hopes this clears up my nighttime congestion) and to research therapists.

Step Three in March adds in the super simple, itty-bitty goal of making an appointment with a therapist (as well as continuing with drinking water, exercising weekly, and using the neti pot).

It is my hope that by making simple additions to my diet – for this quarter, drinking water daily and exercising – it will lead to slow and steady weight loss. I’m only shooting to lose 5 lbs this quarter! That’s not even 2 lbs a month… a completely doable goal. (This is why I’m aiming to only lose 20 lbs this year, even though that will take me less than halfway to my goal weight. I don’t need to lose all my weight at once. Being 20 lbs lighter would be amazing and it won’t take huge, sweeping, drastic changes to get me there.)

I want to be much more intentional with the goals I am setting each month and to make sure that they lead me to complete the majority of the yearly goals I set. To be honest, there are really three main goals for me this year: to finish my novel, to lose 20 lbs, and to build an emergency fund of $1,000. Those are the goals that would leave me feeling majorly successful if I can mark them as complete by the end of 2016.

Okay, so all that said, what are my goals for January? Well, I have more than a few, but I won’t be sharing all of them on the blog. But here are some of the goals I want to achieve this month:

I want to finish outlining my novel so that I have a good idea of how I plan to rewrite my story.
I want to exercise three times a week for 30 minutes at a time.
I want to drink 16 oz of water per day, using my new handy-dandy water cup.
I want to re-read the first Harry Potter novel and I want to watch Forrest Gump for the first time (I know, I know – how have I not seen this movie yet?).
I want to get in the habit of using my planner and budget notebook on a daily basis so that I feel more in control of my goals, my schedule, and my money.

What’s a goal you’re working towards this month?

Categories: Goals

My Intentions for 2016

I’m really excited about this year. January 1 holds so much promise, you know? There is so much possibility in the air. Set all the goals! Make all the resolutions!

This is what I love about this time of the year. I love setting yearly goals. It allows me to think of the big picture of my life, and to really imagine what would make this year a successful one.

So, I’ve set some goals. In fact, I’ve set a lot of goals. I like setting a lot of goals. I like being wildly ambitious and feeling overcome by all I want to accomplish. I know I won’t mark every intention as complete. I may not save the amount of money I want to save or find a good therapist I can trust or lose the weight I want to lose. That’s just life. It doesn’t mean I shouldn’t set goals just because I might not accomplish them.

I’ve set a lot of yearly goals, but I’m taking a different approach than I have in years past in the hopes I can mark more goals as complete than not. Setting long-term goals can be overwhelming, which is why it is imperative to break these goals down into smaller, more manageable chunks.

So here’s what I’ve done: I’ve made yearly goals. Then, I went through my list and figured out what my priorities will be in the first quarter of the year within each category. After deciding on my priorities, I broke down those priorities into monthly goals so that each one has a solid game plan for achievement.

I also bought the Signature Planner from Sugar Paper to help me. The only reason I bought this planner (I’m not a paper planner person) is that it has an area to write down your monthly and weekly goals. (Seriously, guys, I drooled when I saw this planner. It is so up my alley!)

I’m also putting together a “goal binder,” which is just about the nerdiest thing in the entire world. This binder will be my guiding force this year. I’m going to have my vision for the year, my yearly goals typed out, and all of my work from the Holiday Council located in one place. I’m also separating the binder into four sections (one section per quarter) and each section will have my focus for the quarter, my monthly goals, and some places for journaling. It’s dorky, but whatever. I want 2016 to be a year where I take deliberate action with my goals. I want it to be a year when I make the conscious effort to achieve my goals so I can begin living my dream life. So I’m putting the practices into place to ensure this.

So, with all that said, here are the goals I want to achieve in 2016:

Main Goal

Finish my novel and prepare it for publication

Health and Fitness Goals

Lose 20 lbs
Exercise 3 or more times per week
Drink more water, less soda
Figure out what’s causing my nighttime congestion
Start therapy

Money and Debt Goals

Pay off my credit card
Save $1,000
Spend less than $100 on myself each quarter

Adventure and Fun Goals

Go on more dates
Travel to a new state
Go on monthly adventures
Get a tattoo
Take an online course

Books and Media Goals

Read 75 books
Reread Harry Potter and watch all the movies
Watch 12 movies I have never seen before

What’s one goal you really want to accomplish in 2016?

Categories: Goals

Monthly Goals // December

And then it was December. The last month of 2015, and what a wild ride this year has been. I’m really looking forward to the holiday season. I have two (maybe three, if I’m willing to show up to a party alone) parties to attend, gifts to buy, cookies to frost, and carols to sing.

My apartment and cubicle at work are decorated, the only music I’m listening to is Christmas tunes, and I’m about 80% of the way finished with the gift-buying process. I took serious advantage of Cyber Monday, is what I’m saying.

Before we dive too deeply into the holiday season, though, I wanted to take the time to reflect on November. In November, I visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for the first time, celebrated Thanksgiving with my family (our first without Grandma, and oh, was there such an emptiness to the table), turned 28, and spent the majority of my month furiously writing to complete NaNoWriMo.

I set some goals for November, so let’s take a look back and see how they went, shall we?

Win NaNoWriMo 2015 | Indeed I did! I hit the 50,000-word mark on my birthday, in fact. What a sweet birthday present to give to myself! I’m hoping that completing this challenge will help me form a daily writing habit, which is something that was sorely missing from my life previously. My manuscript is around 62,000 words now and I figure it will end up being 90,000 words or so. Lots of writing left to do!

Exercise 4 times a week | Mostly complete? I attacked this goal like a boss towards the beginning/middle of the month and then fell apart during the last week. Oh well. Better than nothing!

Drink 32 ounces of water per day | Nope. Drinking water continues to be my biggest healthy living struggle. I just don’t like it.

Make some doctor’s appointments | Well, I made one. And it was an appointment I really needed to make, so there’s that. I still need to make a dentist appointment and get blood work done. Maybe in December?

Get a tattoo for my birthday | Nope! But I talked to a friend about it (we’ve talked about getting tattoos before), and she might put a plan in motion to make it happen. Another goal I might accomplish in December!

Even though I didn’t accomplish all of my goals, November was still an insane success because I won NaNoWriMo! I wrote 50,000 words in 28 days! I am so super proud of myself. 🙂

And now we’re in December, one of the craziest months of the year. I’m seeing so many people talking about having a simpler holiday season and I can understand that desire, but quite frankly, I love the craziness that December brings. I love the parties and the gift buying and the wrapping extravaganzas. I love a bloated DVR filled with my favorite Christmas movies. Call me crazy, but I love it all. And I’m excited about what this month will bring.

So, with all that said, here are the goals I’m hoping to accomplish this month:

Finish my novel | My goal is to write 1k words per day and, in doing so, my manuscript should be completed by the end of the year. That feels like insanity to me!

Get blood work done | I’ve had the paperwork in hand since, um, earlier this summer. I just keep putting off going for some reason. It’s not even that I’m afraid of needles or blood… it’s just this nagging task that I can never seem to get around to. (I have to fast beforehand, so it’s not something I can do while I’m out and about, either.)

Exercise 4 times per week | I’m keeping this on my monthly goals list until regular exercise becomes a habit.

Stick to one treat per day | Holidays = treats, right? And I want to eat those delicious, only-come-around-once-a-year treats! So I will. But in moderation. I’m not concerned with losing weight, just don’t want to feel gross when January 1st rolls around.

Be a full participant in The Holiday Council 2015 | Ah, one of my favorite December traditions. I slacked off last year, but this year I want to be intentional about listening to the calls, doing the homework, and being an active participant in the Facebook group.

Do you have any goals for December? What’s one thing you’re proud of doing or accomplishing in November?

Categories: Goals

Monthly Goals // November

October passed in a blur. It’s not a month I would particularly ever care to relive. It’s a month that holds pain, grief, and heartbreak. The weeks have passed in a daze. It still doesn’t feel real – I still can’t believe I honestly and truly lost my grandma. There’s this part of me that still thinks I’ll see her cooking in the kitchen on Thanksgiving morning, laughing and puttering around, making sure all her kids are happy.

I’ve tried to hold on to normal life as much as I can. I carved pumpkins with my roommate, dressed up for Halloween at my work, and even went on a date. I haven’t cried nearly as much as I think I should and sometimes don’t think I’m fully processing this loss. But how do you even begin to process a loss this huge?

I don’t know the answer. I’m just trying to keep moving forward. That’s what Grandma would want.

Obviously, my monthly goals weren’t on my mind last month. I’m still not sure I’m in the goal-setting mood, but I did want to make some goals because November is here and I want to make the most of this month.

November will be a good month. It’s my birthday month, it’s Dutch’s fourth Running of the Wiener’s race, and I’m going to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter for the first time. (Let’s not discuss the fact that I’ve never been when I live an hour away, mmkay?)

November is also Thanksgiving, the first one without grandma. I’m hoping it will be a good day, but I also know it will be a hard one. Grandma was the heartbeat of our family and a piece of all our hearts will be missing.

But let’s talk goals, shall we?

Win NaNoWriMo 2015 | That’s right – I’m doing it! I’ve already aced Day 1, so now I just have to keep on truckin’. Before November started, I had written 10,000 words of my current work-in-progress, so I’m hoping to hit 60,000 by the time the month is over. It’ll give me a solid base, though it certainly won’t complete my novel. But 90% of the way there is farther than I’ve ever been.

Exercise 4 times a week | I like having an exercise goal to shoot for because it keeps me motivated. What can I say? I’m just not at the point where I exercise for the hell of it. If I make it a goal, I’m much more committed.

Drink 32 ounces of water per day | Nope, it’s not nearly enough, but I won’t tell you how many ounces of water I’ve been drinking lately.

Make some doctor’s appointments | For starters, I need a dental cleaning and to get blood work done. I hate making doctor’s appointments, but it’s gotta get done.

Get a tattoo for my birthday | I have wanted to get a tattoo for years and I think age 28 is the perfect time to finally make this a reality.

What’s one thing you’re looking forward to in November?

Categories: Goals

Monthly Goals // October

Oy. September was quite the month for me. The first week was spent packing and planning for my move, my mood excited but also cautious. The last three weeks have been an adjustment period and boy, has it been challenging. I knew it would be, but man, it’s been overwhelming at times. The good news is, how I feel today is better than how I felt two weeks ago and I know it’s only going to get better and better.

This place is slowly starting to feel like home.

This new life is slowly starting to feel comfortable.

The hard stuff always gives way to the good stuff.

September wasn’t only about my move, though. It also included celebrating my brother’s birthday, celebrating my nephew’s seventh (!) birthday, getting some new responsibilities at work, fun girls’ nights, pool days, and a successful pneumonectomy for my grandma. It was a big month, is what I’m saying.

I planned some goals for September, but I’ll be honest: the only one I accomplished was organizing my photographs. (Which was fun and such an interesting walk down memory lane!)

I did not make a budget for the rest of the year, mostly because it felt very overwhelming and there were certain bills I wouldn’t know the due date nor amount due until the first one came in (which ended up being just a few days ago!) So I’ve been in a waiting game, and that goal just didn’t get accomplished.

Tracking my food and exercising six days a week also did not happen. I was busy and then I was sad, and when I’m busy and sad, healthy living falls to the wayside immediately. That’s just how it is.

Lastly, no Busch Gardens trips or 15-minute morning brain dumps happened because… life.

So, what’s on the docket for October? I decided to set three easy goals:

First, I want to begin exercising again

Exercising has fallen by the wayside big time in my life. Exercising does make me happy (even if I moan and groan all the way to the gym) and I know the endorphins are just what I need to feel more like myself again. Plus, I have an incredibly cool gym at the new place that includes spin bikes! I honestly have zero excuses here.

Second, I want to spend 15 minutes every day working on my fiction novel

It’s just a little bit of time, and it doesn’t matter when I do it, but I want to get back into a daily practice of writing fiction. My story is coming along, but only writing 1,000-1,500 words a week means I’ll be working on my novel for a long, long time if I don’t get serious about writing!

Third, I want to keep a careful budget of everything I spend

This may entail starting a free trial of You Need a Budget (I’ve been really wanting to try this software out, but I worry I won’t use it as much as I should!), or it may simply entail using a spreadsheet and being more mindful of my spending and where my money is going.

And there you have it. Three simple, easy-to-achieve goals for October. I don’t have much planned for this month and that feels good. I need slow and simple and easy. I’m hoping to carve a pumpkin, see some movies, spend some time at the pool, and leave the rest of it up in the air.

What’s one thing you’d like to accomplish in October?