So many things come to mind when you think of a year closing and a new opening. When you look back did you accomplish everything you'd set out to do? Did you make memories? Did you help someone? Did you learn something new?
I have to say, 2012 will certainly go down as a year I'll remember. I was blessed with so many wonderful firsts which turned into constants. Bucket list items were checked off and inevitably new goals were set.
That's right, I'm a goal setter.
Faced with a new year, many of us get out a piece of paper and a pen and begin that enormous list of resolutions. We are going to lose weight, save money, and organize everything. I'm no different. Those would be the top three on my list for sure. The difference is, if I make it a resolution--as in I resolve that this is the way it will be--my sheet is torn up by 2nd of January. Much like quitting smoking cold turkey, or giving up chocolate forever, resolutions are not for me.
Again, I'm a goal setter.
You wouldn't drive somewhere you'd never been without directions or an address, why would you want a result without making a plan on how to get it.
I want to lose weight. Great! Well these love handles didn't get here over night, they aren't going away by the end of the week. I'm going to need a plan. To attack this plan, I'm educating myself. I've bought books, experimented with my FitBit and Clean Eating. I'm going to pack my food and eat on a schedule. I'm going to keep a chart of my water and make sure that I get in my exercise everyday. If I follow a plan, and adjust that plan as needed, I might see some success. If I mess up on a day, or have a piece of cake for my son's eighth birthday I'll need to adjust my plan. I'll need to drink more water and take an extra lap around the track. But my goal is the same. However, had I set it as a resolution, I'd have already blown it and I can guarantee you, from experience, I'd eat the rest of the birthday cake on my own for breakfast, lunch, and every 20 minute break in between.
Years ago I attended a sales seminar. The man said you had to set your goals to make more sales. He instructed us to write out our goals. Put in writing all the things you wanted to accomplish. Now you had a map, but the advice was to write out this list again every day. That's right, everyday rewrite the goals you have so you don't forget them and they are fresh in your mind.
Of course those goals are going to change. I want to organize my house. Well, at some point, if I keep working on my goals, I'll accomplish that and then it'll become I want to remodel, or something like that.
This year is starting off simple--on the home front that is. My goal is to take 5 minutes every night and make sure there are no dishes in my sink when I go to bed. One day down... I'm good. Now, if I miss tomorrow, well my goal will be to make sure the next night I clean the sink.
Another one of my goals this year is to do an act of kindness everyday. (or as often as I possibly can.) I've even started a group for it. www.facebook.com/groups/crusadeofkindness It's good to have some accountability too. I can add my act of kindness to the wall, with those of others in the group. This will keep me focused on the good I'm hoping to bring to the world.
And the biggest goal of all this year, is to be realistic with my goals. I could have a notebook full of them. I'd spend my day just writing them out and looking at them. Which, heck, I just might do. But to feel really good about it, you need goals that are realistic. Sure, you want to be an astraunat and go to the moon? There are at least a million steps. You have to set your goal to the first one. When that step is accomplished, celebrate, and move to the next.
Sometimes the steps in goals will check off many things on the to-do list! Cleaning and organizing my house will check off not only that goal, but it will help in my weightloss goals because I'll have a better, more organized area to live in. My morale will be better and I'll have more time to exercise if I'm not always focused on cleaning the crap out of my life. See how they fit into multiple places?
So here is to a new year. A starting point. A clean slate.
Here is to new goals--realistically set so that they can be met.
And here is to 2013 being another year I make great, no matter what challenges arise.
