Goals are hard. I know this. You know this. We all know this.
There was a time in my life that I heavily resisted writing down my goals. Mostly because I was so afraid of NOT achieving things, so I wouldn’t even write them down. It may sounds strange, but I did not want to disappoint myself.
Finally, I realized that when you write down your goals, you are automatically hold yourself more accountable and become motivated to knock em’ outta the park!
Here are some practices that I follow to achieve MOST of my monthly goals.
- Be realistic
Do not start off biting off more than you can chew. If you are trying to get off the couch and lose weight, don’t make a monthly goal to lose 10lbs in one month! Instead, think about making a realistic goal like 2-4 lbs. If you are trying to launch a blog, truly evaluate your free time before you give yourself a launch date. I thought 30 days would be enough, but it took closer to 90 days to get everything up and running to my liking! I did not take into account all of the technical aspects to launching a blog.
2. Focus on 3-4 goals per month
I am so guilty of putting 10-15 large goals on my monthly list of things I want to accomplish. When the end of the month rolls around, I feel unaccomplished because I have only checked on 4-5 goals that I rushed through to complete. When you are hyper-focused on 3-4 goals that you are obsessed with, then you will feel amazing when even one is achieved.
3. Break it DOWN
This year, I started by writing down all of my 2018 goals. I went crazy with it. I wrote all my life goals, then I broke them down by category. My main categories were creative ventures, finances, bucket list items, health/wellness, family and cleaning/organization.
I know, it sounds like a LOT. But I got some big dreams and goals!
From there, I broke them down by date I would like to achieve each one. So far, I have completely reorganized 2 rooms in my house and checked off a few pretty good bucket list items.
Then, each month I take a look at the goal dates that I have mapped out and I add a few to my monthly goal list. From those monthly goals, I break them down into weekly to-dos that work towards achieving these goals.
For example, if I want to learn how to use my DSLR camera, I made a to-do to watch YouTube tutorials on set-up, hook up the camera’s wi-fi and buy any necessary accessories. I write in my planner and try to map these tasks out by day of the week.
I use Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for creative/blogging things and use the other days for family time and house work.
This is the system that works for me, but some people can just write down their monthly goals and figure out how to achieve them. I need step by step instructions or I get very overwhelmed. Baby steps, I tell you!
4. Be consistent
Most of us have a combination of long-term goals and short-term goals that we hope to achieve. The best way to tackle dem long-term goals is to stay consistent! A habit takes 21 days to form, so you need to keep at it. For things like eating healthy, the first few days will probably suck. But then something wonderful starts to happen and you fall into a routine and habit of making healthier choices.
One goal of mine was to get on a cleaning schedule. After about 3 weeks, I got in the habit of picking up the loose ends in the house for 15-20 minutes, then doing laundry and cooking on 3 specific days of the week. It has helped reduce the amount of exhaustion in my busy life.
5. Find your system (analog or digital or both)
I know that it can be a drag trying to write everything down, but I know there are some stats out there about how writing down goals and to-dos make you a billion times more likely to achieve them. Ok I found it. According to a Huffington Post article on goal setting, “You become 42% more likely to achieve your goals and dreams, simply by writing them down on a regular basis.” Wow! That is crazy!
I use a combination of 3 journals, a daily/weekly planner, and my notes on my phone. I have a journal for all of my big goals, a planner for my weekly tasks, a bullet journal for tracking wellness, and another journal for self-reflection. Sounds a little loco, but it works for me! Apps like Evernote can also work well for goal setting and tracking.
Source: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marymorrissey/the-power-of-writing-down_b_12002348.html
6. Celebrate small wins
It is SUPER hard to stay productive while working a full-time job, or being a stay-at-home mama. I honestly think that SAHMs have the toughest job in the world, especially when the kids no longer take naps. Y’all are the real MVPs!
Because we all have limited time and resources, I think it is SUPER important to celebrate any kind of win. Did you launch your blog after tinkering with it for a month? Grab a glass of champagne (or La Croix) and celebrate. Hit 500 followers on IG? Pat yourself on the back! It is a gradual success to follow your passion and make strides towards your goals. Celebrate and enjoy the journey. That is my zen advice.
I couldn’t lave you guys here without sharing some of my own personal monthly goals! I crossed out the ones I achieved in February/March.
On-going:
-Work out 3-4x per week (this one is soooo hard for me)
–Bring lunch 4-5x per week
–Work on blog 3x per week
–Write in journal 5x
Individual Tasks:
–Clean office space
–Buy DSLR camera
–Launch blog (by the time you are reading this, we will be live!)
-Clean up personal email
What were some goals that you are trying to crush in March? Comment below and share them!
Until next time, golden girls!!
xo,
Simone
