Setting Goals With a Planner | Giftie Etcetera: Setting Goals With a Planner

Monday, January 4, 2016

Setting Goals With a Planner

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Unlike the New Year's Day resolutioners, I am constantly trying to lose weight (hello, roller coaster), budget responsibly, and exercise regularly. 

For me, the resolution doesn't happen once a year on January 1st.

All year long, I am alone at the gym, working toward that goal.



New Year's Resolutions, paper planner, graph paper insert



Well, I'm virtually alone. 

There's this wonderful 20-something guy with some exceptionalities who stands behind me sometimes, clapping and cheering. "You can do it!" He makes me smile.

Sometimes, my parish priest works out at the same time that I do. That's pretty cool when I'm in yoga pants on the elliptical. That's pretty uncool when I'm hot and sweaty in a tank top and short shorts, doing thigh presses. Eek.

But let's just say that, on January 1st, while the rest of you are starving and waiting in line at the gym, I'll be grumbling about how my always spacious Barre Blend class is suddenly full 45 minutes before it starts!



SET DAILY GOALS


I do make some goals each month, though, and those daily goals are the secret to actually completing my plan to achieve my vision!

By focusing on things I can do every day, I make it more likely that I will succeed more often.

I don't succeed every day. I might only get the daily goals achieved 50% of the time.

Imagine that. 


Envision working out 15 days per month.

Discover what would happen if you were eating under calorie goals 17 days per month.


What if you clean off the island in the kitchen for all but 6 days in a single month?

I listed my goals on the image above. (See gray box.)

For example, the first, meds, is about me taking my midday meds every day. (See gray arrow.) I also set an alarm on my phone to help me remember with lunch. 

Notice that my goals deal with living in an ordered home, self-care, and blogging.

Pick your big, visionary goals. Then add daily steps that will help ensure that you achieve them.  


TRACK YOUR PROGRESS


I simply draw an X each day when I meet my daily goal. Each X is on the column with the goal and the row with the date. (See orange arrow.)

Keeping a goal tracking chart on graph paper in my planner means that I can stay constantly aware of my vision and my progress.

I made my Daily Goal's chart using AT-A-GLANCE Planning Note Cards and strongly recommend them if you can order before they run out of stock, but you could Google "free printable graph paper" and make inserts in a more DIY manner. I had to hole-punch the notes. (See green arrow.)

It's really easy to see what hasn't been done yet. (See brown arrow.) I can also do blogs in advance and see that easily.

TIP: If your goals change over the year, it's easy to just change the chart for the next month.



MAKE DAILY GOALS AN ONGOING PROJECT


Read more about my project planning technique if you don't already know how I do project planning in a paper planner.

Having daily goals as an ongoing project ensures that you actively visit the Project section of your planner daily.

I label my project using the Box technique. (See purple arrow.)

I mark the project with its own tab. (See blue arrow.)


Make one of your goals this year subscribing to Giftie Etcetera via email (right sidebar) so you read it daily. Done?

Look at you - already on the way to reaching your goals for the New Year! 


Etcetera.


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Partied at: Art of Home-making Monday, Over the Moon, Monday Musings, Something to Talk About, Amaze Me Monday, What'd You Do This Weekend, Tuesdays at Our Home, Turn It Up Tuesday, Faith Filled Parenting, You're Gonna Love It Tuesday, Tuesdays With a Twist, Tutorial Tuesday, Homework, Wow Us Wednesday, Creative Muster, The Wednesday Showcase, Let's Be Friends, Wake Up Wednesday, Not Just Homemaking, Wonderful Wednesday, Fitness Friday

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Kristy and Happy New Year.

I had never really made New Year's 'resolutions' because they fail before the month is half over. Instead, mid-December, I made a list of 'solutions' to what I had been trying to unsuccessfully achieve over time. Rather than say, 'I'll lose weight' (the resolution) I wrote how (solution) I would go about doing it - ie: plan clean eating breakfast and lunch to take to work, map out a 30 day fitness challenge I can do in my room (as my local gym is an overcrowded zoo with a parking lot that mirrors rush hour sometimes). I found that if I concentrate more on how I'll achieve it rather than just make a blanket statement that it really causes me to think deeper into the issue.

Congratulations on your progress and best to the progress you aspire to make this year!

Clareio said...

Happy New Year!

Is it bad that if it wasn't for personal training sessions i would be avoiding the gym entirely until February?? i HATE the gym in January (I hate large groups of people so that probably explains it) but this year I've made a point to book weekly personal training sessions for the next 5 weeks!

Giftie Etcetera said...

Clareio - not bad! Brilliant!

Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond said...

Happy New Year! this year I decided not to make resolutions although the planning girl in me is dying to! It is hard to stick to fitness goals as they seem to be the ones that fall by the wayside first. Thanks for sharing your ideas with us at #OvertheMoon and see you next week for more.

Anna said...

I tend to have constant goals rather than New Year's Resolutions. For a work/ministry thing we have to fill in goals for the year and each quarter. Then at the end of the year (or beginning of the next) review how those goals went. It helps to be more purposeful.

For my personal goals, I like to have a goal broken down into steps and small checkpoints. Like you said, you might not always reach your goal, but you are going to do more than if you aren't trying.

Quirky Homemaker said...

I love making a daily to do list and goals. I find it much easier to try to organize my life that way. I also have weekly and monthly goals. And minute-ly. . . . . just kidding!! Stopping by from Fitness Friday! I hope your Barre class clears out soon ;) Have a great New Year and a great weekend!

JES said...

I love your organizing with planner posts! Thank you for sharing them with us on the Art of Home-Making Mondays in 2015 and happy to have you again in 2016! P.S. your sense of humor is appreciated as well :)
Love, JES @ Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth

Stone Cottage Adventures said...

I love the daily check list! Thank you for sharing these wonderful planning tips at Tuesdays with a Twist Link Party! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures

tialea2 said...

I love making goals. Small, big, in between, it really helps me to accomplish what I set out to do. Thank you for sharing at the Faith Filled Parenting LinkUp. I hope to see you again this week. Blessings!

Unknown said...

This is great advice, and I love that you work towards your goals all year round. What an inspiration! I am going to start checking in each month on my blog about how I am doing on my goals. I am hoping that will keep me more accountable and help me to succeed.

Thanks so much for linking up to Fitness Fridays on Drops of Learning. I hope to see you back this week, and I look forward to following your progress!

Jaime Barfield said...

I always have the goal of losing weight, but i have found paper tracking exercise and calories doesnt work for me, so i use an app. However i do track my weight in a seperate notebook. i completely understand the rollercoaster. I set my goals up on a quarterly basis. If i tried daily, i would go crazy.