How it started and how it is going….
Last year, as I roller-coastered through January like someone doing one of those forward trips where the body keeps going as the feet try to regain balance, I turned to the last page of December on the calendar and wrote, “Remember that January is whack.”
I was grateful for this warning to my future self throughout the holidays.
Apparently, I had grown forgetful that once the harried holiday rush was over, sitting quietly reading by the fire or knitting or baking bread and making homemade soups is an illusion.
Instead, January has become jam packed with basketball games, snow appearing and disappearing to make travel hazardous, the Christmas trim never makes its way back to the basement in as quick a fashion as I would like.
There are a ton of unexpected additions to our calendar that make having a normal routine rather difficult.
So this year, knowing January would be chaotic, I decided to anchor my days with some kind of attempt at discipline.
Thus I totally copied an idea from Pinterest and made the first entry in a new journal that you see pictured above.
From there I made a page of “Goals” I would love to have this year.
Among these goals you would find things such as:
* Read at least two books a month
* House cleaned completely at least once a week
* Eat fish twice a week
* Walk at least 10 minutes outside daily
There are more, but you get the idea.
The next page I wrote a specific step for attaining each goal:
- Schedule time each day for reading. Select the two books on first day of month.
- Monday seems optimal day for cleaning so start the process on that day.
- On Sunday evening, schedule two “fish” menus on next week’s calendar
- Put your coat and hat on at some point in the day and go outside!
I took all of this a step further and made a chart to encourage accountability.
As you can see, the trip to Austin and recovery this week have taken a toll on this. I was proactive and penned in A’s for the trip knowing I would have to extend myself grace while being gone from home.
I actually could add some checks for yesterday and today, as I attempted to get back to that accountability thing.
Defeat/failure and guilt are not allowed. I should have added that to my goals, but in my heart the line is drawn and I will not feel bad when I can’t put an X on the day.
All of my goals will lead me towards feeling like I had purpose and focus for the year. There are health, spiritual and professional goals that I didn’t share.
The accountability feature is not to make me feel bad, but inspire me to do better.
I do not typically make resolutions, but I am willing to see if this year is different because I made a plan.
How about you?
What are your goals for 2025?
How are you keeping on task and, more importantly, how are extending yourself grace?
Blessings to you for the weekend <3