Welcome Friends to 2011. This is the year where it all comes together. This is the time when resolutions are made, priorities are set, goals are established. Eleven. An odd year. A year that deserves attention. So what goals are you setting? Less coffee? De-clutter? Stop smoking? Stop yelling? Weight loss? Downsize to a smaller home? Upsize from your condo to your first home with your first real lawn? Be kinder to yourself?
There has been a ton of research on goal setting. Writing goals down can help you stay focused on your goal. People who write their goals are more likely to attain the goals they set out to achieve. More recently, I have learned a little about goal mapping. It goes a little something like this -
FIRST: Start with your goal in mind. Make it something measureable. If weight loss is your goal, select a number of healthy pounds to lose. If de-cluttering is your goal, decide by how much and stick to it. Make it something attainable. Losing 10 pounds? 20? Great go for it! Losing 300 pounds may be a stretch for just one year. De-cluttering the whole house in a year? Yes, that’s attainable. Doing it all in one weekend? May be attainable for some, but not for most. It probably took more than one weekend to accumulate the clutter, so it will most likely take more than one weekend to sort, purge, and organize your home.
SECOND: This goes back to the aforementioned research that writing goals helps us stick to them and achieve them. Jot it down. (I personally prefer middle of the page.)
THIRD: Think about what you need to do to get you from where you are now (Point A) to your Goal (Point B). For example, “1.Menu plan to 2.eat healthy foods and 3.make time to work out 4.twice a week doing 5.yoga and 6.weights.” After you’ve written all of the steps you need to take along the way…
FOURTH: Number them. “1.Stop shopping in order to 2.free myself from un-needed items that end up as clutter and 3.save some money to 4.plan a nice family outing/do home repairs/hire a professional/have a cushion in savings/pay off debt/etc.”
FIFTH: Use this activity to create your personalized step by step list that will help you reach your goal.
CAVEAT: Set some small deadlines along the way and include those dates in your list.
SIXTH: Find someone to keep you accountable. Post it on a social networking site, tell your best-friend, post a comment here. Tell someone, somewhere what your goal is.
Happy New Year!
If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like help achieving your goal of getting organized in ELEVEN, e-mail juliebavi@gmail.com You can also find me on Facebook by clicking HERE or by searching for Organize With Julie. Stalk me on twitter @juliebavi.
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2 comments:
My one and only resolution this year is to get my proper name on my social security card. That involves getting a copy of my birth certificate, and then getting all the documentation sent off to the SSA. Now that's in print. I'm committed!
You are committed and I think I know someone who will keep you accountable. It sounds like you've even got a list of steps started! Hooray for progress.
~J
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