Happy 01/01/11! Now...Let's Create Some Goals!

Happy New Year Everyone!

So, I sorta drool over this time of year. Because it's when I whip out my art pad and conjour up what I'd like to be doing in 201 in all my roles: Mom, Wife, Athlete, Personal Growth, Health, Friend, Career, Finance, Home, and Community. 

 

And I'm adding a new one this year that I can't believe I haven't had before. Really, I feel sorta silly I didn't think of it til now. Ya ready?..it's Me!

 

So, I've been using this lil' notepad above now since 2008, and it's where I take my ideas and list em' out. And it's from these 2011 ideas that I create my (drum roll please....) Goals for the Week!

So... I thought I'd take a minute to share two ideas on my goal making process. (I mean c'mon appease me;-)

 

First, with my year goals: I try and think about what really excites me? What gets me goin, my juices flowin, and amped up! I journal/brainstorm in my gold notebook (the other notebook behind my lil' white notepad). From that I usually see ~2 gems that really excite me for each role. Those ideas are what I list for my 2011 Goals (what you see above).

 

And for my Goals each Week, here are a few of my ideas on how I create them.  Ya ready? (again, just nod your head like this stuff is genius!;-) 

1. I try to make my weekly goals specific and measurable.
Instead of saying "I'll run more", which is broad and loosey goosey, say "I'll run 3 times a week for 20 minutes". That gives me something concrete to shoot for and it's not too crazy.

  

 

2. I try and frame my goals in the positive.

Again, using the word 'Don't' is already setting me up for failure. It's so absolute. "Don't eat ice cream after 10pm"- does that excite/motivate me?...not so much. But "Have ice cream after dinner and if I still want more, have a sugar free pudding or tea" keeps me in the game.

3. I try to focus on the replacement behavior vs. the undesired behavior.

If I write "Don't have candy for snacks" that leaves me thinking only on what I shouldn't be doing. It's not giving me any direction on what I want to be doing instead. It's like the old saying "Don't think of pink elephants"...what are ya thinking about right now?

So I try and think about the behavior I want to be doing to replace the the undesired one. 'Have carrots/hummus or other veggies for snacks' is what I'd attempt to write.


Those are my thoughts. And how I basically fuel my ideas for my year and week goals. And it's all a work in process right? I mean c'mon...I just added 'ME' as a role. How didn't I think about that sooner? And so life goes;-)

Now..I'd love to hear how YOU go about creating your goals for 2011? What's in your lil' notepad? Talk to me, talk to me!