Here we are…well into 2018…and I’m just getting my goals finalized for the year. Please tell me I’m not the only one who didn’t have them all figured out by January 1st. But a year is a long time so I really don’t think it matters much if it took me almost half of January to finalize my 2018 goals and resolutions. Right?
At least I had my word of the year chosen earlier:
MY WORD OF THE YEAR
Simplicity, which you can read about here.
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MY 2018 GOALS AND RESOLUTIONS
To determine my goals and resolutions each year, I came up with ten categories or life areas. I then create goals for each. I like to do it this way because it helps me be sure that I’m addressing all areas of my life.
Last year I was overly ambitious in setting goals but not so great with the follow-through. This year I have limited myself to three goals in each area and have tried to make them more realistic.
HEALTH
- Get seven hours of sleep each night. This is a biggie for me. Way too often I’m getting only 5 hours and occasionally even less.
- Lose 20 pounds. I need to lose more than that but I’m setting a reasonable goal for the year.
- Exercise 3-5 times a week.
RELATIONSHIPS
- Get back into a regular date night habit.
- Host at least quarterly game nights with our kids.
- Take my mom to her favorite Indian restaurant in Norman at least twice.
BLOG
- Create at least one product – a course, eBook, or something similar.
- Update at least 20 of my old posts (better photos, updated information, etc.).
- Introduce a new feature. This is coming soon. Hint: It’s tea-related.
HMA FOUNDATION
- Move the “Timely Tunes” feature to our nonprofit’s website.
- Send out quarterly email newsletters.
- Plan a “Blues and Barbecue” festival.
SPIRITUAL
- Read a passage in my grandmother’s Bible each day.
- Meditate daily.
- Read Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger by Ronald J. Sider
HOME
- Complete the 14-week Home Organization Challenge by A Bowl Full of Lemons.
- Get a small flock of chickens this Spring.
- Bake bread regularly.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT/LEARNING
- Read 50 books.
- Complete Crystal Paine’s “4 Weeks to a More Productive Life”.
- Do one Rosetta Stone French lesson per week.
GREEN GOALS
- Get David to put up a clothesline for me outdoors, plus a pull-down laundry rack in our laundry room so I can hang most of our laundry.
- Compost consistently.
- Read Silent Spring by Rachel Carson.
FINANCIAL
- Set up bank account for my blog.
- Set up PayPal for my blog.
- Create an LLC for my blog.
PERSONAL/FUN
- Paint at least three oil paintings.
- Purchase annual pass for the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and visit at least six times.
- Watch six French films.
It’s all well and good to select goals and make resolutions but without a plan, it’s unlikely that I’ll be very successful in the implementation. That’s why I’m trying something a little different this year.
At the beginning of each month as I’m filling in the monthly calendar in my Happy Planner, I’m choosing a few things to focus on or accomplish and writing them in the notes section of that month’s page. Some things may be there every month such as “Read 4 books” which will be necessary to meet my goal for the year. Other things which are one-time events or actions can be spread out over the year.
I think by breaking my list down and focusing on just a few things at a time, I’ll be more likely to complete my goals.
The other thing I’ve done is find an accountability partner for my weight loss goal. One of my readers emailed me in response to one of my newsletters and shared her goals for the year. Our weight loss goal is similar so we decided to team up and check in with one another once a week. I think that’s going to be very helpful.
Do you set annual goals or select a “Word of the Year”? If so I’d love to hear about it. Leave me a comment. And if you’d like to but haven’t gotten around to it yet, there’s still time. Here are a few resources that might help:
New Year’s Resolutions: Planning For a Year of Achievement
SMART Goals: How to Make Your Goals Achievable
10 BIGGEST MISTAKES PEOPLE MAKE IN SETTING GOALS (AND HOW TO FIX THEM) – podcast by Michael Hyatt
How To Change Your Life By Setting Goals by Crystal Paine
Daily Goals – A simple habit tracker (this is the one I use on my phone)
A Step-By-Step Process for Setting Goals – podcast by The Productive Woman
Related Life With Dee posts:
Setting and Achieving Your Goals: A Challenge
Resource List For Goal Setting
Dee’s New Planner: Getting Organized in 2016
Tying Up Loose Ends and Preparing For the New Year
Tori says
January 14, 2018 at 8:58 amThat’s a great list of goals. Good luck with them!
Don’t worry. Though I had my goals figured out before Christmas, my post for them hasn’t gone up yet. I had several other things I wanted to post first, so the post got pushed back a bit. It goes up tomorrow if you want to come by and check it out.
Deanna Piercy says
January 14, 2018 at 7:35 pmOh, I’ll definitely check them out!