This year, I’m doing something different.  I’m not making a list of new year’s resolutions that I’ll probably drop before the month of January is over.  I’m not saying, “I’m going to eat healthy and work out” and go running here and there and hope the last 10 pounds of baby weight just magically falls off.   I’m not looking at what I want to change in my life and expecting it all to happen with the coming of a new year.  But instead, I spent quite a bit of time in the month of December setting GOALS for the new year. What is the difference between a goal and a resolution, you ask?

Resolution: a firm decision to do or not to do something

Goal: the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result

Although they do seem similar, a goal focuses on how you will achieve the final result, whereas a resolution just states what the desired result is. I’m not going to lie – I was a little lost at first on how to set personal goals (and I still kind of am.)  I mean, you could go 1,000 different ways with this.  Where do you start?  I know what you’re thinking – we’ve all been a part of a group or club or sports team that has had to set goals, so how is this any different?  Well, it’s not.  But how it is different for me, is that I spent a lot of time reflecting on 2018 and previous years.  I developed a list of places where there are opportunities to set goals and then the wheels started turning.  At each bullet point, I asked myself, “Where am I currently and where do I want to be?”  Then, thinking back to those group activity goal setting days, I remembered the importance of setting SMART goals:

S: specific; M: measurable; A: achievable; R: relevant; T: time bound 

I know, you’re still questioning whether this post is worth continuing the read, and that’s ok.  I am merely just sharing what has really motivated me through the end of 2018 and has me super pumped for 2019 – and by 2019 I mean all of 2019, not just the first two weeks of January.

The following is a list of all of the places in my life where I feel I can benefit from setting goals.  For me, this is a living document, which means it can be edited throughout the year.

• Career
  • Where are you in your career?  Are you where you thought you would be at this point in your life?  On the right path to your dream job?  Are you happy with your salary?  What can you do to get yourself to your dream job and salary?  Have you become somewhat idle in your current position and looking for a change?
• Financial
  • Where are you on your financial journey?  How is your debt – student loans, credit cards, etc.?  Have you started saving money for retirement or have some sort of savings plan?  Are you throwing money down the drain each month by spending frivolously on takeout food, going to bars, and buying things that are not meaningful to your life? 
• Education
  • I’m a true believer that we, as human beings, are lifelong learners.  What are you doing to further your education and keep you on the path of becoming a lifelong learner?  Reading, podcasts, newspapers, online forums, documentaries, audio books – there are so many sources for gathering information in this day and age.
• Family
  • Do you want to be a better parent, sibling, son, daughter?  What can you do to deepen and strengthen the relationships with your family?  Do you want to take your family on a summer/winter vacation?  Has your weeknight routine gotten out of hand and your kids are going to bed later and later and waking up more and more tired?  What can you do to get your family back on track?
• Creative
  • What is your creative way of expressing yourself to the world?  Do you like to paint, play an instrument, write a blog/Instagram, etc.  Maybe physical activity, such as running or playing a team sport is your creative expression.  Maybe coding is your thing, or going to a ballet or play.
• Attitude
  • What is holding you back?  Are you scared to be judged by others?  Or are you the one doing the judging?  Has your self-esteem been on the decline lately and you are looking for a way to climb back up?  Are you the confident person whom you strive to be?  What and how can you get there?
• Physical
  • I feel like this one really needs to be narrowed down and is one of the most used for ‘resolutions.’  What are your specific goals and how are you going to get there?  You cannot say, “I want to lose weight and eat healthy,” because that is too vague.  How much weight?  Are you going to strength train?  Cardio?  How many days a week?  Then, take it a step further and schedule it in your calendar with your work out plan.  Eating healthy?  Haha – try eating x amount of calories, cutting sugar to x grams a day, drinking 100 oz of water, or incorporating veggies into three meals a day.  You need to be specific on this one, people.
• Pleasure
  • Everyone needs some “me” time.  Seriously.  Whether it’s hanging out with friends or going on a two-week tour of Europe, schedule in some time for yourself.  Heck, what about a massage, or even just a Friday afternoon nap?
• Volunteering
  • What can you do to give back to your community?  Can you join a volunteer group at work, church, or on your own?  There are so many opportunities in the Houston area to work with kids, the elderly, rodeo committees, literacy programs, youth sports programs, and church.  If you don’t have available time, could you make a donation to an organization that is meaningful to you?

• Organization
  • Do you have what seems like 100 tupper wear containers with unmatched lids?  Have 15,000 pictures on your phone?  Or do you have documents saved in random folders on your computer or tablet?  What about that linen closet that might also have Christmas decorations and/or wrapping paper?  Think about what would make your life a little bit easier if you just put a little thought into how to organize it.

• Spiritual
  • Do you want to go to church more?  Join a bible study group?  Pray more?

My final thought for today is this:  Do not stress yourself out if today, January 1, 2019, you do not have it together and your goals are not made for the year.  Goals are only meaningful and helpful if you spend quality time thinking and reflecting on what you want for your life. If it seems overwhelming to you right now, take a break, read a book, drink a coffee, go for a run, scroll through insta, or do whatever you need to do to get yourself into the right frame of mind.  Part of being successful in your goals is the journey in which you get there. You will most likely struggle at times, and probably have some failures along the way, too, but that’s ok. You are strong and determined and will pull yourself back up and get back on track. This isn’t an all or nothing thing. I saw this insta post a while back and it has really stuck with me. It basically said, “Just because you don’t brush your teeth one night before bed means you failed and will never brush your teeth again.” And this is so right – you’ll just wake up in the morning and brush them again.

Here’s to wishing you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year!

Cheers – MP