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Friday, January 15, 2016

2016

Well, I am two weeks late with this post. 2016 has started off well. I actually haven't been posting because I have actually been doing things! It feels pretty good. I have been thinking a lot about goal setting. I usually try to set some sort of resolutions every year, but rarely do they stick. I really want this year to be different. I want to say that I going to get in shape and actually get in shape. Or say that I am going to do laundry every day and actually do that laundry. So far, I am off to a pretty good start in the workout department. I have been slacking on the laundry. There definitely is a difference between making a resolution and setting a goal. I am trying to do a better job of setting concrete goals rather than vague resolutions.
 So what makes a goal? I remember talking a lot of about this in my Strategic Management class. Companies that succeed have a clear mission or goal. What are the characteristics of a clear goal? According to Dave Ramsey, who I love listening to driving to and from work, a good goal is specific, personal, measurable, attainable and in writing. What does that look like? For our family, one of the goals this year is to completely fund our emergency fund of 6 months of expenses. That meets the specific requirement. It is personal because it directly affects our family's well-being so it puts internal pressure on us to get it done. It is measurable because we have an exact number that we are trying to reach. It is an attainable number that we can save for and we have set a realistic time frame for reaching that goal. Lastly, it is in writing and both myself and Scott see it on daily basis. For me in writing also means a visual chart. I love to check stuff off or to color things in so I made a little thermometer chart to color in as we get closer to the goal. That for me has been the kicker for staying focussed really pushing me to save and work hard on finishing.
I am trying to translate this to my physical goals. I want to be in better shape next January than I am now. I don't really care about losing weight but I know that I could be stronger. I am still struggling with how I want to define this goal. Right now, the best metric I have is how many times a week I do something physically active. I am shooting for 4 times a week right now. To motivate me and give a visual reminder, I am coloring in the days on the monthly view of my planner. Each day that I do a workout of some kind I color that day in my planner. It gives me an overview of how active that month. I like seeing the all the days that are colored in and letting the blank days be that little kick in the pants to get me going. When I look down and see a lot of blanks days it stops me from getting complacent. I am hoping that building these little reminders into my routine will motivate me stick with my goals this year and make some progress.

Is 2016 off to a good start for you? Do you make goals/resolutions each year? What keeps to you motivated?