by Texas Homesteader ~
I quit doing New Year’s Resolutions several years ago, yet the aspirations I have on New Year’s Day for improving things throughout the new year have not been abandoned. And now they’re actually ACCOMPLISHED!
How do I do it? Read on.
New Year’s Traditions
Sing it with me now, “Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind…” Aaaaah it’s that time again. A brand new year.
I love new beginnings and a new year is a wonderful beginning filled with promise & possibility.
Many folks celebrate the new year by making New Year Resolutions. You know the ones – “I resolve to lose weight, or save money, or (fill in the blank)“.
I think reaching for personal improvement is an important thing to do. And there’s no time like the start of a brand spankin’ new year to do that.
But even though your heart’s in the right place, those open-ended resolutions often get forgotten within the first two weeks of the new year. #amiright??
Years ago I quit making New Year’s Resolutions and instead starting making New Year’s GOALS instead.
Stay with me now, there’s a point to be made.
Just writing a long list of goals on a piece of paper will be forgotten in the same amount of time those resolutions did. I needed a way to actually attain my goals.
Tricks I’ve Used Successfully For New Year’s Goals:
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- 1 – Don’t make your goals out of reach for you. Goals should be a challenge to attain but not insurmountable.
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- 2 – Don’t list your goals in an obscure way. Saying “Get In Better Shape” won’t give you any real direction to be able to meet your goals. Instead you might make it a goal to “Walk briskly 30 minutes three times each week”.
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- 3 – Make a list of steps to reach your goals. If you plan to plant a veggie garden this year don’t just write down a goal of “Plant A Garden”. First make mini-goals to select your garden spot, then to amend the soil, then to plant your seeds.
Sample Monthly Goals
By using this goal procedure I’ve been much more successful in actually attaining the goals I aspire to attain each year. But there’s another important tip for laying out your goals.
Instead of listing the goals I hope to attain sometime in the coming year I’ve made a list of each month and added at least one goal project next to each month. For instance:
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- January – *Empty master bedroom closet, declutter & rearrange
- February – *Make Soap For Christmas Gifts. *Document Veggie Garden Planting Order
- March – *Paint The Chest of Drawers
- April – *Repaint Barn’s Squeeze Chute & Alley
I try to schedule tasks that will be appropriate for the time of year – inside tasks during the scourge of my existence (ie: ragweed season), outside tasks when the weather will be warmer, etc.
New Year’s Goals Reminders
Now that I have my anticipated tasks all laid out I go into my email’s calendar and note at the beginning of each month what the task to complete will be for the month.
I schedule an email to be sent to me the first of the month with this month’s task(s) to be completed.
When I receive my monthly reminder I’ll set out to complete that month’s task(s) as quickly as possible.
Then at the end of the year – bada-bing, bada-BOOM all the New Year’s goals I had dreamed of completing waaaaay back at the beginning of the year are completed.
Do you do New Year’s Resolutions? Do you write down goals instead?
If you’ve been frustrated about the lack of motivation & staying power in the past give this procedure a try, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the results.
~TxH~
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I do something very similar. Sometimes, my goal is as simple as “track calories daily.” I eat less, but the goal is just to track.
I love the fresh start of a new year! I make goals and resolutions for myself. Sometimes they actually work out, and sometimes I get to the following December and wonder what I was thinking!
What great ideas. I have been thinking about the goals I have set and how I am going to achieve them and this really helps. Thanks for sharing at Good Morning Mondays. Blessings
I have always been terrible at keeping New Year’s Resolutions, so this year I did the same as you. Made a list of goals I wanted to achieve for the year, and made sure they were reasonable. Thank you for sharing your tips with us at Merry Monday! Love having you link up each week!
This is my first year of making Attainable Goals. Used to I made them too high for my Disabled Body. But now I know what I am capable of and what I am not so it is making it easier to do this year. I am taking care to get my Spiritual Growth in first, but I am finally getting started on my life long dream of writing a book. I have taken the Leap of Faith and contacted the Publisher even though the book is still in my head and not in the computer yet,lol.
I found you through Thursday Favorite Things at Katherine’s Corner.
I’ve quit with drastic resolutions as well. I make goals too, and try to make them with some deadline, like running for weight loss and signing up for a 5k race. I like the email reminders though, that’s a great idea!
No resolutions here either, it never works. I agree, goals are better. My goals is to try more quilt patterns with new material, get my chicken coop build and get 2-3 chickens for my little backyard. Then I’ll think of rabbits. My biggest goal is finding someone to house and pet sit when I want to take a trip to visit family. Good luck with yours.
Have you ever raised backyard chickens before Terry? If not you’re in for a real treat. RancherMan & I really enjoy our free-range chickens and the fresh eggs really can’t be beat!
No, I have started to follow blogs on home steading and those that have chickens.I am getting educated and looking forward to it. Only problem is who takes care of them if I go on vacation, lol
Depending on how predator-tight your coop is, you may be able to get a large feeder and very large water fount and slip away for a few days without anyone having to take care of them. RancherMan & I have locked them in the coop for a few days while getting away and they did just fine. Of course they’d RATHER be out free-ranging but with plenty of food & water it didn’t negatively affect them being in the coop for a few days. You do want to make sure your coop is predator tight and your watering system won’t fail or be tipped over. I’d recommend buying larger-than-needed watering and feeding systems so you can fill ’em up for times when you won’t be around. We love raising our chickens and look forward to it every year.
I don’t make resolutions. I do make a goals list and put it out there on the blog for the world to see and for myself- I can refer back! I didn’t do that this year. 2014s goals were mostly accomplished– I have a few carry overs – and will focus more effort there.
I also choose #OLW ( one little word) and I refer to it often! Last years word… Balance … Was a hit and a miss!
I may refine my methods this year – after reading this. I had thought of chucking the whole idea; but if you aim at nothing you hit it every time!
Great post!
Different methods work for different people Patricia. I know the generic broad-brush first of the year resolutions really never worked for me and hearing other people complain that it didn’t work for them either, I just thought I’d put out there a method that’s worked for me. I also have private goals that involve family, relationships and the like. Those private goals are not different every month but reminders are still placed in my calendar to remind me to act. Using those methods has always been successful for me.
You have a great plan going on. I have never made any New Year’s Resolutions. I just basically take one day at a time and try and do what I can in a days time. When I can’t work outside I try to at least get things accomplished inside. Right now I am in the process of making family photo ornaments. I have A lot to make so thought this would be a good time to get started cause I know once the weather turns nice I will be outside working and will have no time to work on the ornaments and they will really need to be done around Thanksgiving
That’s really thinking ahead Colleen, love the idea of family photo ornaments. ~TxH~