2012 Resolutions

As I wrote yesterday, I am a big fan of goals. I like to make lots of goals, some big, some small. I also write things down on paper after I've done them just so I can cross them out. Tell me I'm not alone. (And, do you cross things out or check them off? I've found people are firmly in one camp or the other).

In the spirit of tip No. 4, a.k.a. accountability, here are three of my goals for the year:

1. Go to bed earlier! Wake up earlier! Exclamation marks because this will be a big deal if I can make the switch. I am a night owl at heart, and it is much easier for me to stay up than to wake up. However, I've discovered that I can wake up early if needs be — like if I am subbing a 5:30 a.m. Spinning class at the gym. And there have been a few times in my life when I consistently woke up early and it was really great. The main reason I want to go to bed earlier is so that I exercise and get in some work before the kids get up. I am going to go to bed no later than 10:30 p.m. and wake up at 6:30 a.m. Monday to Friday. (p.s. The seed for this goal was planted when I read The Happiness Project, an excellent book if you haven't already read it.)

2. Start a blog. Tah-dah! Now I have to keep it up. That's where the measurable tip comes in handy. I am going to post at least three times a week for the first six months and then assess. To help myself out, I made a huge list of things I want to post about that should get me through until then. 

3. Save money to finish our basement. My husband and I have gone back and forth on this topic for the entire time (five years) we've lived in our townhouse. Because this isn't our forever house, and because we bought when the real estate market was high, we always go back and forth on whether or not we want to pay the money to finish the basement. This year we are going to save as much as we can for the project and once we have it in cash we will decide if we are really going to do it or use the money to pay down our mortgage. For this goal, we have an overall amount we want to save and have broken in down in to a projected monthly figure.

So, there is a look at a few of my goals for the year. Anyone have any similar goals? Or similar list-crossing-off tendancies?

How to Set Resolutions

Resolutions — you either love them or you hate them. I fall firmly into the 'love' camp. One reason may be that I love any excuse to make a list! But, on a deeper level, I really love the act of determining priorities and assigning goals to those priorities. And I enjoy being able to measure progress, something that seems nearly impossible to do in other areas of my life, such as parenting.

A few years ago, I wrote a story for the local paper about setting New Year's Resolutions and interviewed goal-setting expert Steven R. Covey. Here are his tips and my interpretation. (See the full article here.)

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1. Start by determining larger priorities. Covey advises people to craft a mission statement. I don't have the time or mind to take that on right now, so instead I wrote a short list of my top priorities. Try to keep this to less than 10 items. My list: relationship with God, relationship with my husband, teaching/loving/playing with my kids, taking care of my body, my work, being creative and being a wise steward of my resources.

2. Set goals that flow from your mission statement. Lacking a mission statement, I picked goals that flowed from my priorities. But first, I wrote down daily activities and how they might connect to my priorities. For instance, under taking care of my body, I wrote: exercising, eating healthy foods, cooking from scratch/using unprocessed foods, getting dressed every day (some days with kids that is an accomplishment!), etc. After looking at the list, I tried to assess the balance in each of the areas and what I could improve on. Then I came up with a list of goals.

3. Break goals into small pieces. If your resolution is to lose weight — the no.1 goal in America — don't just throw that out there and hope the universe grants it to you. Outline how you intend to achieve that goal and try to include daily actions that will move you toward it. For instance, I would like to work on strength training this year. I am going to attend a minimum of two strength classes a week and start using the 10 pound weights during circuit training instead of the wimpy five-pound ones I've currently been using.

4. Develop a system of accountability. Share you goals with a spouse, family member, good friend, join a group, post about it on your blog — whatever it takes for you to feel like you "need" to accomplish your goal.

5. Learn to say no. I cannot do it all. That is a phrase I am trying to teach myself. I recently read a really helpful series on Time Management over at MoneySavingMom and was so glad she posted a list of things she doesn't do. I am all for lists, but my usually include to-dos, not not to-dos!  On her list: ironing, decorating, sewing, etc. Now these are all things I love to do (minus ironing, ugh!), but that's OK. We all have different priorities, and as we recognize that we are freed from the expectation that we can and should do it all.

6. Expect setbacks. No goal is without its challenges. Plan for a few bumps in the road and then you won't be thrown off track when they happen.

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just ordinary people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. . . .

Life is like an old-time rail journey--delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride." (source)

 Are you for or against New Year's Resolutions? If you do make resolutions, is there a method to your resolution madness or do you shoot from the hip?