New Year's Resolutions

Welcome to 2015, Friends.  We are five days in.  How are the resolutions going?

Well, if you’re anything like me, my goals don’t always last.  I mean well, I kick ass in the first week to month of the new year, then those goals just flutter away by the wayside.  Then what?  By the time I get around to them, it’s time to make new ones for the next year.  It’s a forgetful, silly cycle.

This year, I am determined to make this year count.  I want to be an active participant in my life.  Taking that step is tough though—how do you start?

Here are a few tips on what helped me create some decent goals—

·         Make your goals specific.  For me, I wanted to be more creative and tie up loose ends.  If I left the goal like that, it’d be too vague for me to follow through or commit to.  Instead, I changed this to something I could hang my hat on, like “I will blog at least once a week.”  The same for you.  “I will hit the gym three times a week”, “I will make one piece of art a month”, etc, etc.
Try this format: “I will    verb  for   x  times per   unit of time  .”   Fill in the blanks for what works for you.
Beware though—making a goal with an unrealistic time frame can cause you to lose steam fast.  Saying you’re going to go to the gym every day for an hour is not only unrealistic, but daunting and overwhelming.  Be thoughtful and realistic, as well as kind to yourself and your schedule.

·         Take the time to make thoughtful, well-worded goals.  This will sound a little odd, but put effort into wording your goal well.  Having something jotted down like “I’m going to be active this year” isn't going to get you very far.  Now, if you take the time to say “I’m going to tackle three new hikes all over the Oregon and Washington area every month,” that sounds like a kick ass goal.  You are a kick ass person—you deserve to have a goal of the same caliber.

·         Put your goals somewhere where you’ll see them every day.  I’m a big believer that when you see a goal every day, you’ll subconsciously make changes in that direction.  So find a good place that’s going to catch your eye.  That could be on a bulletin board at home, hanging up on the fridge, or even at work.  I wouldn't recommend it hanging in your car though.  Safety first.

With these little tidbits in mind, I’ll share what my goals look like for the year:

They're not perfect, but boy, I like them.

These are well-worded and intentional goals that I have for myself in 2015.  So far, so good!

Remember—even if you’re just now getting these up, it’ll take your brain some time to start moving in the direction you set for yourself.  Personally, I’ve been seeing these goals every day for about a week now and my brain is starting to churn out some interesting project ideas and writing topics.  Be patient.  Work with intention and patience—you’ll be surprised where you’re at in a month or three.  If you lose sight, don’t despair.  It’s not about being perfect.  It’s about taking steps in the right direction.

Happy Goal-Setting,

al