Remember those goals you made earlier this year? What are they, again?
5-7 min
Back in January, we created our goals for this year. For a refresher, here is the link to the original blog post.
Now that it has been six months since we first created our goals, let’s revisit them and see where we’re at. Six months have definitely flown by, but we still have half of the year to pursue our goals!
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You might have set some goals for yourself at the beginning of the year. (If you haven’t, it’s not too late. You can find TSFtipshere). Now that a few months have passed, it’s time to revisit those goals and see how you’re doing. Keep in mind to not feel discouraged if you feel that you’re not where you want to be. Good things take time.
If you need to change some goals, that’s OK. If you need to tweak some goals, that’s OK. If you need to remove some goals to make room for new ones, that’s OK.
These are your goals that will personally shape you – no judgements. No one should judge your goals except for you, because you know what you want and what you deserve.
STEP 1: Once you have redefined your goals, place your goals in a list format.
STEP 2: Now, evaluate your progress for each goal.
Step 2A
For each goal, mark your current status: Complete, On Track, Not on Track, or Need to Start.
Step 2B
Analyze why you think your current status is the way that it is. If your goal is “Not on Track” or “Need to Start”, were there any circumstances beyond your control? Or, was there a lack of motivation?
Step 2 might be challenging because you need to be very honest with yourself. Your goals are specific to you and what you desire to achieve or improve in your life. There is no right and wrong answer with how you analyze yourself, but it’s important to evaluate yourself in an unbiased manner.
Think of it this way: If a stranger read your goals and saw your progress up to this point, would he/she agree with your analysis?
Below is my analysis of my goals. I switched over to spreadsheet format to make it easier to read:
I have some goals that are On Track, and other goals are Not on Track or Need to Start. I have one goal that is complete because I created this blog. Hooray!
STEP 3: Place your goals into bite-sized, actionable weekly plans
It’s finally time for the fun part! Now, think about how you can break your goals down and put them into actionable weekly plans. What are the steps you need to do this week to get you a little bit closer to your goals?
Let’s use an analogy to help think this through.
Think about your favorite baked good. For me, it’ll be brownies. You mix ingredients together based on a recipe. In this case, you are the chef here and you need to make your own directions. The ingredients are right in front of you, which are your goals and your analysis of your goals. Now, think about the steps you need to do to get closer to your end result.
Below are the actionable steps I’ll be taking:
As you can see, I’m making a weekly schedule of things to do. The list is easy to follow and has clear steps. By doing this exercise, you can identify exactly what you need to do in order to get closer to your goals.
…And that’s it! Three easy steps. Easy enough, right?
I hope that this exercise can unlock the potential that is inside of you. Give this post a like, and let me know your goals this week.
Have a great week, you smarty femme!
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Resolutions aren’t your thing? Don’t worry, neither is mine.
~3 – 5 mins read
Maybe New Year resolutions aren’t your thing, and it definitely isn’t for everyone (it’s definitely NOT my cup of tea!). While I think that resolutions can be a bit vague and it can be hard to hold on to once the months pass by, I think there is a wonderful thing about setting goals for yourself at the start of the year.
I recently did this with my husband, and it was refreshing to have an open discussion about our goals, and what we wanted to achieve. I reflected on what goals I wish to accomplish this year, and he did the same. After we took the time to reflect on our goals, we sat on our living room couch and shared what each of us wrote. My notes were scribbled on a piece of paper, while his goals were listed on a color-coded spreadsheet, labeled with different buckets. Needless to say, we clearly have different personalities.
TSF TIP:
Regardless of whether you’re writing these goals alone, with your S.O., or with your best friend, I recommend writing your goals out, whether you prefer writing on a piece of paper or electronically. It helps reinforce the ideas that you have when you see it for a second, or third time, instead of keeping it in your head.
When my husband and I discussed our goals together, we made it a point to talk about the significance of why we wanted to achieve the goalandhow we can go about doing so. For some goals, you don’t need to know how to completely achieve a goal at that exact moment (e.g. learning about a certain subject or learning a new hobby). Maybe you need to do some more research to see whether it would be possible, and maybe you realize later that it’s not worth your time — and this is completely OK. <insert hug here>
After discussing our goals, we gave each other our honest advice, and sought out ways on how we can help the other person out. If you are doing the brainstorming on your own, I recommend sharing them with a trusted friend or mentor, and ask them to give their honest and transparent thoughts. As a result of our sharing and advice-giving session, my husband and I both had a better idea of what are our goals, why we want to achieve them, and how we can try to achieve our goals.
Most importantly, use this brainstorming sesh as a catalyst to jumpstart into driving these goals in formation. Keep your list handy so you can refer to it from time to time, and make 2020 your year!
The Smarty Femme 