How are we doing on our goals?

Hello folks!

January 12 is here and how are we doing on our goals?

I love “New Year’s Resolutions” time, much for the same reason I love “Valentine’s Day”. Not because I particularly get into either on the DAY (I love the message of both all year ’round) but for a short period of time, everyone loves them with me.

For example, people tend to look at me funny when I ask them about their resolutions at any other time (say, September), but when I talk to them right now, they love to tell me what their goals are.

Can you imagine what it would be like if it was common practice to have goals and talk about them? I’d bet  we’d be a lot more proactive, productive and have far  fewer regrets when our journey is over.

Perhaps it’s the shame of not reaching our goals after professing them that makes us shy away from making them in the first place. And my guess, is that people might be choosing unrealistic goals and then losing faith or beating themselves up if they don’t meet them. And worse, then reverting back to their old standard. To that I say, “Don’t be crazy!!!” Any progress you make should be celebrated! If you decided to stop overspending as your goal – said you’d spend no more than $100 on such-and-such and you spent $105. Well, that is NOT a fail if you usually spent $150! Just because you didn’t achieve EXACTLY what you wanted doesn’t mean the effort wasn’t worth it. Sometimes we have to lean in to changes.

I’ve been gradually getting healthier for 2 1/2 years. If I were to have decided to run 3x a week, only eat vegetables, go to the  gym some, walk more, take supplements AND drink more water all in one go in an effort to be “Healthy”,  guaranteed I’d still be 20 pounds plus overweight lamenting my fate. Instead, I’ve taken it slowly, making one healthy action a habit at a time and adding a new one when I felt ready, while changing that other one if it didn’t suit. For me it’s a lifestyle change. And if it’s something I’ll do the rest of my life, I want the kinks to be worked out and for it to be a solid system.

If you’re struggling right now, take it small. Celebrate the little victories (and NO, I do not mean celebrate them with cake, you sly dog). Maybe you don’t meet your professed goal, but so what? The more you are aware of something you want to change, the more you focus on it, the more it factors into your decisions,  the closer and closer you will get to what you want.

If you didn’t have resolutions before, you’re not too late! (Secret: you’re never too late to create goals and shape your life how you want). Go ahead! Pick something specific, choose some definite actions toward achieving it, figure out how you’ll know when you’ve reached it and go for it!

If you’re looking for a good book on the subject, I’d recommend “This Year I will…” by M.J. Ryan