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Happy New Year! 2020 is in the past, and for most people, this is a good thing. What a year it has been! I recently wrote about the positives 2020 brought into my life, but there were some struggles. Some of those struggles were in terms of the goals I had set for myself and could not meet. In speaking with friends and my readers, this was a source of frustration for various reasons. A few got sidetracked due to the pandemic. Circumstances in their life got in the way, and their goals were put on hold. The last year threw us all for a loop.
For example, my goal to lose some weight was derailed by what I call the quarantine 15. In the beginning, I turned to one of my favorite stress relievers, baking! Another example, working from home full time, was a big adjustment for me. My time management went out the window, and I became too wrapped up in my work. I let things, like my running, slide. I also do not do well with a lot of free time. I work best with routine and a schedule. It took me a while to establish that. The less time I have, the more I accomplish. Does that make sense?
Stop Making Resolutions-Set Goals
So, how can you and I make 2021 different? The first thing is to stop making resolutions! Instead of resolutions, set goals. Wait, you may be shaking your head and thinking, aren’t these the same thing? Actually, no, resolutions and goals are not the same things. According to the dictionary, a resolution is a firm decision to do or not to do something. It is a statement of what you want to change. A goal involves setting, planning, preparing, and taking action.
For example, a pretty common resolution is “I want to lose weight.” To change this from a resolution to a goal, you need an action plan. What do you need to do to reach that goal? How are you going to change your eating habits? What kind of exercise will you do? How many times a week will you exercise. Remember, a goal must be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Relevant, and Time-Based. It also needs to be written down. I suggest a pen to paper rather than on your phone. Research shows our brain remembers better and more when something is written down on paper.
A regular old notebook would do, but I bought this goal planner over on Amazon. I love it.
How to Accomplish your Goals.
Goals are personal to each person. However, to accomplish any goal, we need to be at our best. We need to feel our best. The environment we work and live in must be free from chaos and clutter. We need to eliminate any unnecessary stressors. How do we do that? It is my firm belief if we add these nine goals to our list, accomplishing everything else will become just that much easier.
Create a Morning Routine
How we start our day sets the tone of the day ahead, controls our schedules, and prioritizes our time. Now what you do is up to you. It could be mediatation, prayer, exercise, journaling, or reading. Mine is checking off some to-do lists for my blog and social media before my workday begins, all while drinking a nice cup of coffee. By accomplishing these small tasks, I feel less pressured to get these things done later in the day, and it gives me a chance to wake up slowly. I highly suggest The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. It helped me establish my routine.
Move Every Day
Exercise is key to helping us feel better. The endorphins released when exercising makes us feel happier and more confident. It keeps us younger. It does not have to be hardcore either. Go for a walk, do some yoga, find a video on YouTube to follow. Just get out and move. I become bored very quickly with strength training, so I need to mix it up. I subscribe to a streaming service that is all workouts. It cost less than my local gym, and I do them all from the coziness of my home.
Drink More Water
Hydrate, hydrate, and hydrate! Water is the most critical thing that we can put in our bodies. It delivers oxygen to our bodies and flushes out toxins. It aids with weight loss. Our skin looks healthier when we hydrate. The list goes on and on. If my water intake is slacking, I feel sluggish, and accomplishing anything on my list is that much harder to do. Here are some tips on how to hydrate more.
Declutter your House
I don’t know about you, but I can’t concentrate if there are clutter and chaos all around. It is all I can think of, and it serves as a colossal distraction. Therefore, the need to declutter and keep my house as organized as best as possible is essential. As I sit here and write this, my dining room table is a mess with Christmas stuff. As soon as I am done with this post, I will spend my day organizing, as I will get nothing else done on my list. Of course, one of my goals for 2021 is to declutter each room, so this goal serves a couple of purposes.
Take control of your Finances
Worrying about money can be all-consuming. It can creep into all other aspects of your life and affect your mood and motivation. Knowing exactly where your money goes every month and having a plan to save for the future can go a long way. If any of your goals involve money, like saving for a trip, new furniture, a retirement goal, etc., you must know how much is coming into the household and how much is going out of the household.
Reconnect with Old Friends
This one makes your heart full. I had a visit from an old friend last week, and it did wonders for my mood. The rest of my day was so productive as I was feeling so good from her visit.
Take time for Self Care
Make sure you are doing something that rejuvenates you. I love to relax by reading or scrapbooking. all while listening to your favorite book on Audible sound? Like heaven to me. How does a bubble bath Whatever it is, please make time to do it each week.
Eat better
It is that simple. Eat more fruits, veggies, whole grains, and less sugar, and you will be amazed at how much better you will feel. You naturally will have more energy to get through the day.
Get More Sleep
I fought this one for a very long time. I still struggle with it from time to time. It is not because I can’t sleep; it is because I don’t want to sleep. I always looked at it as a waste of time. However, research has shown, and my body agrees we need sleep. Sleep keeps us laser-focused to accomplish our to-do lists and keep us on track to reach our goals. Set a regular bedtime and stick to it. Not only does the amount of sleep matter, the quality of sleep matters as well. According to one study, we need anywhere between 1.5 to 1.8 hours of deep sleep a night. This is roughly 20% of our overall sleep. I find if I take a sleep supplement, it helps me achieve that number. I started using NUUN Rest, and it has changed the quality of my sleep.
Wrapping up
If you have not figured it out by now, the nine goals listed above are about making us feel and perform at our best. Again, if we feel our best, we can set out and achieve any goal we want. It starts within ourselves.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Please leave me a comment below. Happy New Year!
