Goal Updates

[5ft Diva]

At the beginning of this month some of us reported on what goals we'd like to work on. I was just wondering if anyone wanted to give an update on how they were doing. I find that I am inspired and motivated to stay committed to my own goals when I hear about someone else's successful moments or stories.

[5ft Diva]

My goal to Take Care Of It Right Now has been great. I am not perfect at it and sometimes forget to stay focused on this little saying so I find myself slacking off, but for the most part I have done fairly well. I just keep reminding myself that it's not something I have to be perfect at it's just something I'm wanting to have permanent in my life.

It's been interesting as I've implemented this because in order to do so I've had to get rid of old habits in order to make this one successful. I have had to replace something else w/ this (or maybe a better way to describe it is that I've had to kick it out) and that was a surprising concept to me. I guess because it felt back door-ish. What else has been surprising to me is how naturally it has been to replace my old and bad habits with this one because it's more in line w/ who I am. It's sometimes hard - like sometimes it's a mental workout to get my mind to think a different way - but natural, nonetheless.

I hope this makes sense. I have really enjoyed this small and simple change in my life and can't wait til it's something I have really mastered.

[bookworm]

Ooh, Diva what a good mantra- take care of it right now...

My goals are going pretty well, also. I haven't perfected any of them, but most of them are steadily becoming habits. My goals are all positive change habitual things- daily routine stuff that will improve my life. My house is spiraling out of control this week, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, partially because if I keep on track with my daily goals, there does seem to be room for a few of the bigger chores each day.

The one goal I seem to be struggling the most with is the goal to wash and sort one load of laundry per day instead of letting it pile up. I can't seem to get that motor started. Maybe I need to change the goal, since it isn't working... maybe just 3 days/week or something.

I feel the same way about replacing old/bad habits with new/better ones. I think it's hard to do the mental part, too, because we are such creatures of habit. I've been thinking/believing certain things for so long, it's hard to change those thought patterns, as well as habits.

Anyway, my update is good, I'm doing better than I would have ever thought possible on most of my goals!

[5ft Diva]

Way to go!

[Erudite]

Well, I have worked on some of my goals. I tried 2 different methods of meditation. The first seemed to work better, since I feel asleep doing the other. What I did is write down a thought that I wanted to meditate on on a pad of paper and then sit quietly and concentrate on my breathing. After a few minutes of getting calm and relaxed I looked at the thought and concentrated on that. I wrote down a few ideas related to it and tried to implement them the next day. The other thing I tried was just breathing concentration without the writing....I relaxed, but that put me to sleep and I didn't get much thinking done.

I need to call my inlaws today and invite them to FHE in order to get that goal done. I've been putting it off. I have a good excuse, mind you, but I shouldn't put it off any longer.

I have on my to-do list to start the yard planning (my goal: to finish the yard), but nothing has been done beside that.

And I haven't started writing again, so I'm totally behind on that since my strategy was to try to write for two hours a week.

I have kept up with my OT reading in the car, and have done most of the SS and RS reading on Sunday mornings, but I could do better on both.

And (everyone stand up and cheer) I have made the attempt to get back to exercise. Cheering is needed because I'm still pretty sick, but exercise is supposed to help, I just need to keep it really gentle yet. After a discussion about how we were going to change last night, DH and I got up this am at 6am. He got on the treadmill and I did some easy yoga stretching and breathing. Then I fixed us a healthy breakfast with a veggie, fruit, and protein (and he got bread).

Last week I read a blog about "if nothing ever changes, nothing ever changes." I brought that up to DH last night and told him we needed to make some changes. We both have the goal (ok...I gave it to him) of losing 10 lbs before the end of March (we have a family event then). But we both recognize that we need to do better on the healthy side of things even if "weight" is not the goal. Since I've been sick, I've gotten terribly flabby. I've been at the weight I'm at now before and I was never so flabby. I'm clearly losing muscle and gaining flab in my sick and I need to put a halt to it...though I can't go crazy with exercise because that'll only make things worse. But I did get started this morning!

This idea of "if nothing ever changes, nothing ever changes" works on all my goals and their strategies. I'll have to re-think some of the strategies to do a better job and my goals. Thanks for the oppportunity to think this through, 5D!

[Dia Minha]

Yeah, I'm so proud of everyone. There is always something rewarding and uplifting to communicate with others that are having success, no matter how big.

I think I was very vague on my goals earlier. Generally I'm working on keeping my winning outcome in mind, so that I'm not giving up what I really want, for what I want right now. Financially I am doing good. Mostly, because of a loving husband who is adminant about waiting for the right interest rate, before going through with our refinance to accumulate the money needed to finish the basement, yard, and the remodel of the upstairs, which will create an office and give me more counter and storage space in my kitchen, and replace our mismatched, torn and worn carpet, and floors. We could "buy down" our iterest rate, but both of us are willing to wait it out. It seems silly to pay so much to borrow money when we will already be paying interest. The exciting thing is, if we get the interest rate we want, we will be able to refinance for ten years, so we will still meet our goal of having our house paid off before our oldest graduates from high school.

Weight and health wise, I have struggled getting back on plan after taking a too long of break over the Holidays. I'm taking slow and have met my goals each week and this week I have followed plan goin on four days and looks good for the rest of the week. Today I started my 21 days of waking up by 6:00 and going to bed before 10:00. I was up before 6:00 this morning, but fell back asleep again after DH left for work. Boy 10 minutes goes by fast when your sleeping. So officially I did get up before 6:00 I just know now to concentrate on staying up. This helps me with my goal to put myself first, first. I have always tried to do so during the day, but feel like I often leave my little ones to themselves too much and often feel overwhelmed and stressed, because I'm trying to take care of my needs first and theirs on the side. What I realized is, they do really have to come first during their waking hours, so I need to take care of myself, first, before they get up. So I need to give myself enough time in the morning to read scriptures, excercise, and shower, at least before my youngest is up. This way my attention can be on her, because I am feeling energized and refreshed for the morning anyway.

I have added a new ticker, because I want a constant reminder of how I want to look and feel before DH and my anniversary in June. This will keep me focused on what I really want, and help me make better choices when there is something that I want right now. In reality it is the big family reunion in July that I want to look and feel my best for, but it will be nice to enjoy the new me and have some time to get use to myself again, before putting myself on the line with people I haven't seen in years.

Keep at it ladies. We are all doing so good. I'm so proud.

Dia

[Erudite]

Originally Posted by Erudite

I need to call my inlaws today and invite them to FHE in order to get that goal done. I've been putting it off. I have a good excuse, mind you, but I shouldn't put it off any longer.

I have to report that I called. But my FIL was out of town and the weather was so awful on Monday that we told my MIL not to try and drive in it. We'll do it next month for sure!

E

[Erudite]

Go, Dia! You can do it! Winning attitudes take all!!

[natickgirl]

OK. I'm really lame. I have a serious aversion to goal-setting & commitment. Sure, I have things I'd like to accomplish, but somehow writing it down on paper scares me. I grew up in a home w/a Mom who went around toting her Franklin Day Planner and teaching others time management & how to write their "governing values." Do you think any of it rubbed off on me? Quite the contrary. I was in my teenage years & rebelled by becoming the biggest procrastinator & non-goal setter in the world.

My goal for this year is to face my goal-setting-committment-I'm-turning-into-my-mother fears and actually write down goals in the five major areas of my life: physical, spiritual, emotional, financial, and intellectual. This is a big challenge. Once I get them written down, I'll start thinking about the follow-through part. Baby steps; baby steps.

My husband is equally goal-phobic, so my other major goal is to do this project with him! I will keep you posted.

[Dia Minha]

Thanks Erudite. I worked really hard on keeping my affirmations (is that the right word?) postive. It means a lot for it to be noticed.

Dia

[natickgirl]

Wow! You ladies are amazing. Keep up the great work. You've given me some great ideas for goals (see previous post). Thanks for your inspiration.

[5ft Diva]

WOW! I would be intimidated by a mom like yours. How do you gauge yourself w/ someone w/ that kind of intensity as an example??? I have a Franklin Day Planner and am a Covey fan so I actually know the system you're talking about. Standards that are challenging to meet sometimes. (Not saying that that is what you're saying, just what I'm thinking.)

Good luck, NG, in overcoming this fear of commitment/writing down goals. And yes, baby steps are the only way to go. I'm excited, if you choose to keep us posted, to hear about the transformation that takes place in your life just because of one or two little changes. It really is by small degrees and changes that big things happen in our lives. We're all behind you!!! And not to give you pressure, but in sharing your journey w/ us we will all be inspired by you!

[Dia Minha]

Very well put, Diva.

Dia

[teeny]

natick girl said, "I have a serious aversion to goal-setting & commitment. Sure, I have things I'd like to accomplish, but somehow writing it down on paper scares me. I grew up in a home w/a Mom who went around toting her Franklin Day Planner and teaching others time management & how to write their "governing values." Do you think any of it rubbed off on me? Quite the contrary. I was in my teenage years & rebelled by becoming the biggest procrastinator & non-goal setter in the world."

K, that is hilarious, cause it's my story too!!! My Mom was a list maker. She had lists for lists for other lists, no joke! And schedules, always something in her schedule until it was so jam packed that nothing could ever fit, not to mention trying to fit in something that is unexpected! So, I too have a hard time with trying to have a "schedule" or time commitments or anything similar. But, I know that I need somewhat of a routine, and so that is my goal for this year. But, somehow I can't get myself to start one until after this baby is born. It seems like if I try and start one now, it will just get messed up and need to be changed in April anyway, so what's the point right now?! Right?...... I'm procrastinating, aren't I?!

[Erudite]

Ummm... yes. but you are loved anyway!!

Habits built now will be easier to pick up again later. Do you mind if I share my personal experience? You don't know me at all, but long story short, two months ago I got really, really sick. The prescription to get me better is "eat right, get enough sleep, and do exercise as you can". It's a little frustrating because in this day and age, you're supposed to be able to take a drug and get better in less than a week, you know? But I'm looking at months of recovery time. But the reason I'm telling you this is what I've found out about habits. I have a goal to eat at least 6 fruits and veggies (F&V) every day. At least one has to be dark berries and another spinach (or dark leafy greens). They're part of the super foods that feed your immune system. At first, I was like...yeah...berries...great. But now, with my goal, I see that my weight is no longer creeping up (I've gained 10 lbs since I got sick). I have more good days than I used to and I feel better on my bad days (most of the time). But in the long run...when I'm not so sick anymore and can really, really exercise, with the habit of berry and spinach eating, the habit of eating at least 6 F&V a day, I should be able to really take off some weight and do it in a healthy way.

My experience teaches me not to wait to build good habits. They bless me for the now and prepare me for the coming. Hope that helps!