The Importance of Setting Goals
How many times have you told yourself, ‘I’ll get my shit together after next week’ or, ‘next year is my year’? If you’re like me, it’s more times than I’d like to admit. Truth be told, I still fall victim to those thoughts from time to time. As a leader in the workplace, I always tended to put other’s priorities first. As a mom of three EXTREMELY active kids, they have always taken front and center. Not that any of those traits are negative, per se, but it never left time for me. Add in the fact that hormone changes in your 40’s are RUTHLESS, and I was a shell of the woman I felt I should be.
I retired from the Air Force about a year ago, and after many months of emotional roller coaster rides, combating motivational decline and feeling like I don’t even recognize the woman in the mirror, I finally came to the realization that I was just letting life pass me by without being intentional about, well, anything. I was letting whatever came my way, roll right in and I’d deal with it. It would eventually pass, most passed like kidney stones, but I made it, lol. That said, that’s not how I want to live my life everyday, and nor should you.
Think about it…the most successful businesses in the world plan their operations strategically, setting quarterly and annual goals to make their business as successful as possible. Typically, ever quarter, they meet and discuss what worked, what didn’t and adjust accordingly. Not a hard concept, but EXTREMELY important to success. So WHY can’t we incorporate some of those concepts in our personal lives? News flash…WE CAN and we SHOULD.
Now, I’m not saying that you have to plan every little thing in your life because that’s the furthest thing from reality. What I AM saying, though, is that we can’t continue to live passively and expect big changes to just happen. If you want positive changes in your life, you have to take the wheel. Jesus has steered me through many tough times, but he has yet to steer me away from watching every damn Christmas Hallmark movie (and let me tell you, they are on A LOT!) or cure teenage attitudes, so, yea. If you want real, lasting changes in your life, you have to take charge.
It’s easy when you live passively, because you can blame others for your circumstances. When you are in charge, the only one accountable for results, both good and bad, are you. How do you want to live?
I have seen so many ads and programs promising fast results by using ‘X’ product or ‘lose 10lbs in 10 days’, etc, etc… Let me tell you, some of these MAY help, and that’s a big may, but they will not last unless you create better habits. Here’s the thing, many of us tell ourselves that we’ll lose a little weight before the summer or we’ll eat healthier after the next holiday. These are generic and don’t give any real incentive or clear direction on how we to do these things. There’s no roadmap so we just figure that we can wing it and work it out as we go. Let me ask you, how’s that working out for you? My guess is probably not as well as it could be.
Well I’ve developed an easy to follow 1-3-5 Method of setting and achieving your individual goals. It’s not rocket science, seems very elementary in some areas, but it’s incredibly effective. Humans are creatures of habit. Where you are right now is a culmination of your environment and the decisions you’ve made along the way. In order to reach your goals, you need to create new, healthier habits. It takes a minimum of 21 days for habits to form. with the 1-3-5 Method, you give yourself 1 goal, 3 months and 5 steps to get there. You spend 2 weeks on each step, so by the time 3 months is here, you will have made 5 positive changes in your life that will last. The key to reaching any goal is making small, incremental changes along the way.
If this sounds enticing to you, download my free workbook below so you can get started. Keep track of your progress on the trackers provided, and keep me posted. I’d love to hear what you think. This method has given me a way to keep myself accountable while also showing my kids that mom is better than she’s been this last year. That, in and of itself, makes the work I’ve put in worth it.
Don’t forget your free workbook here!
