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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!
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Happy 2020! Wow, doesn’t it seem strange to be saying that? I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season and ready for another spin around the sun. Ringing in a new year has me reflecting on 2019, the highs and lows. It also has me excited for 2020. As I review my 2019 goals, I am happy to report that I was able to mark many of them as accomplished, but there is always room for improvement. This is how I look at a new year, a time to level up, keep improving one’s self by doing and accomplishing the things that make me happy.
As I wrote about here, I do not make resolutions for the new year, but select goals for the year. I also create an action plan for each goal and write out how I will execute it on a monthly basis. Each week, I pick certain activities to do to bring me one step closer to accomplishing that goal. I write all this down in a notebook that I carry with me. It keeps me on track and laser-focused on what it is I need to do.
Another tool I use to assist me in accomplishing my goals is accountability. By sharing my goals, putting it out there in the universe, I am holding myself accountable. This year, I have decided to do this two ways. First, each month I will be posting my goals for the month, and at the end of the month, I will report back, right here on my blog. Second, I have opened up a private Facebook page called Goal Climbers 2020. This is a group of goal-oriented people who are looking for accountability and support as they crush their 2020 goals. I will provide resources and tips on how we can make 2020 our year to shine. If interested, leave me a comment or reach out to me on Facebook. I will add you to the group.
Now, for my 2020 goals. I break my goals down into four categories, Personal, Financial, Professional, and Household. Within those categories are sub-categories. Under the sub-categories are the goals I want to achieve and how I will go about making them happen. Below are some examples, so you get a visual of what I am doing. I will not list them all here, but if you would like to see my full list, I will be sharing it in the Facebook group.
Personal
- Health
- Make a dermatology appt.
- Get 7 hours of sleep a night.
- Run/Walk 2020 miles.
- PR at a 1/2 marathon.
- Sign up for my second marathon.
- Personal Growth
- Listen to one personal development podcast a day.
- Family
- Date night once a month.
- Try something new each quarter.
- Make the most of Robbie being home before leaving for college.
- Travel and Recreation
- Explore my own backyard.
- Weekend away with Bill.
- The Canadian Rockies.
- Mom/Son Disney trip.
- Read 50 books.
- Scrapbook once a week.
Financial
- Pay off lingering debt.
- Pay cash for the 1st year of college. ( HUGE ONE!!!)
- Less frivolous spending.
- Save, save save. Earmark money each week to be automatically deposited in savings account.
Household
Here I break down each room and list what if anything needs to be improved. For instance, we need new family furniture. Our upstairs bathroom needs reorganization, things like that.
Professional
Most of this will have to do with this blog. These goals include growing my social media presence, landing sponsorships, and connecting with other bloggers around the globe. Of course, I have goals for my day job, but in the interest of keeping those separate, I will keep those to myself.
My goals are listed in my notebook. I breakdown the goals by quarter, month, and week. This way, I am always working on something, but not becoming overwhelmed by it all. For January, I have decided to concentrate on the following:
- Make an appointment with a dermatologist.
- Start
new strength training program. - Pick a marathon to run.
- Purchase family room furniture.
- Save an extra $900.00.
- Schedule out scrapbook dates with friends.
- Organize bathroom.
- Write 6 new posts.
- Learn more about SEO.
As you can see, some of these will be quick and simple, and others will be more involved. Each week I will schedule activities that will assist me in the more complex goals (like writing posts, SEO, and strength training). Does this make sense? It may seem like a bit of work, but once you are in the habit of writing these down and planning your month and week, it all starts to flow nicely.
Now, what about you? Are you ready to set goals and crush the year? Let’s do this together.
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The new year is upon us, and many people take this time to start something new. Notice how I don’t use the word resolution. I’m not too fond of the word, and much prefer to use the term goal. See my prior post for my reasons why. In any case, perhaps you want to take up running in the new year. Running is an excellent form of exercise, both physically and mentally. There is nothing better than a run to clear your head. I love “running” through my problems. I love the people I have met through the sport. I have even learned to love the burn. You get the point; I love to run.
People often ask how I got I started. Or say things like I don’t know how you do it? I could never run. Well, I am here to tell you, you can! Here are eight tips on how to start running.
Invest in the Right Shoes
Not all running shoes are created equal, and what works for me may not work for you. It is best to be fitted by someone knowledgeable in this area. Head over to your local running store and ask to be fitted for shoes. The salesperson should have you walk around the store so he/she can examine your gait. Based on what they see, they will have you try on a few different types of shoes. Once you have a pair or two that are comfortable, the salesperson should have you try them out by running, either outside or on a treadmill in the store. Make sure the store has a 30-day return policy if, for some reason, the shoes do not work out.
Set Small Attainable Goals
On day one, I went out and ran 3 miles in the hot July sun. I would not recommend that! Aim for small goals. If you aim too high, you put too much pressure on yourself, and it takes the joy out of the process. Perhaps start running for time and not distance. For example, start by running three times a week for 20 mins. Once you are comfortable with that, add 5 mins and build from there.
Schedule your Runs
Take out your planner, your calendar on your phone or whatever it is you use to schedule your appointments and schedule in those runs just like you would a doctor’s appointment or a meeting with your boss. You would not cancel on them, so why cancel on yourself. I plan my runs out a month at a time. It helps!
Gradually Increase Your Mileage (or Time)
The rule of thumb is to increase your mileage by no more than 10% each week. I prefer every two weeks. Ramping up the mileage too quickly can lead to injury.
Keep a Running Journal
A running journal is more than just a place to track your mileage. It tells a story. As I track my runs, I note the weather, the mood I was in, how hydrated I was, how much sleep I had the night before, and what I had to eat that day. These are all contributing factors to any run, good or bad. I started to see patterns. I found if I was not hydrated, my runs were a bit sluggish. It is also neat to look back and see how far I have come when training for a race.
Add Strength Training
I learned this the hard way. I hated to exercise most of my life. It wasn’t until I turned 40 that I decided running was for me. I went all out. Once I find something I like, I do it. This lead to shin splints and tightness in my hips and glutes. Once I began strength training, my problems started to dissipate. Oh, and make sure to add stretching to the routine as well. You can read all about the benefits of stretching here.
Join a Running Group
Runners are the NICEST people. When I started running, I joined a running group at my local running store. It was fantastic. It gave me one night a week that was all about me and my new venture. Most groups ( I say most because there is always an exception) welcome new runners with open arms. It also helps you up your game. We tend to want to try more when we are with others. I have done some of my best runs while running with a group.
Follow a Training Plan
There many apps or free training plans available to help you get you started. Couch to 5K is a great app. Jeff Galloway, former Olympian runner, and runDisney consultant has some fantastic training plans. Jeff has perfected the run/walk method, and his plans are fantastic for beginners. Another great resource is Another Mother Runner. I am starting their heart rate training plan this upcoming weekend. I talk about it here.
Follow these tips, and you will be off and running, literally! Starting to run was one of the best things I ever did. It changed my life, and it could change yours.
Have you heard of Rachel Hollis? Rachel is the best selling author of Girl Wash Your Face and Girl Stop Apologizing. Rachel and her husband have a podcast called Rise and started a challenge called #last90days. The premise is that it takes 21 days to make a habit, but 90 days to change your life. Rachel and Dave chose the last 90 days of the year for this challenge for several reasons. First, it is the most stressful time of year, and we tend to turn to bad habits. Second, the holidays are upon us, and often we have to deal with extended family, and if that family is what Rachel and Dave label “toxic,” it can bring out the worst version of ourselves. Finally, due to the hustle and bustle of the holidays, we tend to neglect our health by skipping out on exercise and making poor food choices. I am guilty of all of the above, so I decided to join their challenge.
What does the challenge entail? First, Rachel and Dave want you to complete what they call the Five to Thrive. These are five things we commit to doing each day.
- Get up an hour earlier each day.
- Write down 3 things I am grateful for each day.
- Drink half my body weight in ounces of water a day.
- Move at least 30 mins per day.
- Give up one type of food.
By committing to these five things, we are being intentional about taking care of ourselves and working on our goals for the next 90 days. These five goals bleed over to other goals we are working on, and we end up starting the new year with a bang.
Here is how the Five to Thrive is working for me.
I wake up an hour earlier each morning and write my to-do list for the day. I break it down into three categories – Must-Dos – Should Dos and Would Like To-Dos. I tackle the Must-Dos first and work on those until it is time for me to get ready for the office. Depending on the day, I either get my exercise done in the morning, at lunch, or after work. Some days it is strength training, some days running and other days it is simply walking at lunch to get my 10,000 steps in for the day. It does not have to be a hardcore workout. Any movement for 30 mins counts! I drink my water throughout the day. This one is quite easy for me, as I love water, and it is the only thing I drink besides coffee and tea.
I tend to write what I am grateful for during the workday. These must be very specific and can’t be as general as “I am grateful for my family” or “I am grateful for my job.” For instance, yesterday, I wrote down that I was grateful that I have a boss that understands work/life balance. The last of the Five to Thrive is the hardest for me. I gave up chocolate candy. I LOVE chocolate, and with the holidays coming, I tend to buy it and dip my hand in the bag way too many times. Hopefully, this will keep me from purchasing peanut butter cups or candy cane Hershey kisses!
I can already see it working in my life. By committing to the Five to Thrive, it has given me the energy and the determination to tackle the other goals I have set for myself for the last 90 days of the year. Growing this blog is a massive goal of mine. I have committed to a certain number of posts a month, restarting my newsletters, hiring a Pinterest manager, committed to at least an hour a week of learning, and more. I have mapped out a new training plan for my 2020 races, recommitted to clean eating, and committed to losing ten pounds by the new year. My environment is another area I need to focus on. My house needs purging and organization. I feel so much better when the clutter is gone.
Looking back at 2019, are you happy with all that you have done? Are there goals on your list that you have not quite accomplished? Don’t wait until 2020. By this point in the year, many people decide to wait until the new year to work on their goals. Don’t be one of these people. Drop me a comment and let me know how you plan to finish 2019. Let’s stay motivated together.
