Setting Goals

We are coming up on the last week of December.  I love this time of year.  This is the time of year that I reflect back on what I've done over the last 12 months.  What I accomplished and what I didn't accomplish, what I can improve on, where I've made changes and where I need to make changes.  This is also the time of year that I set goals for the upcoming year. 

I became hooked on goal setting last December when I came across Chalene Johnson's 30 Day Challenge, which then led me to purchase her book Push, a book I highly recommend!  This program gave me so much insight on the impact of setting goals, and the small steps it takes to reach those goals.  I call it a program instead of a book because it's so much more than just a good read.  Each day, for 30 days, Chalene gives you a new lesson along with an assignment to complete.  The book includes priorities, goal setting, identifying your goals, steps to take to reach your goals, health and fitness, relationships, and so much more. 

My greatest reward from this program was learning how to master a to-do list!  In the past, like many people, I would take a pen and a piece of paper and write a LONG list of items I wanted to complete that day.  By the end of the day, only about a quarter of those items were crossed off.  I would go to bed feeling unsuccessful, wake up the next morning to add more items to my incomplete list, and then let history repeat itself over and over.  That is until Chalene broke it down for me!  I learned how to categorize my list and complete EVERY item on it EVERY day!  There is a great app that she suggested for this called Awesome Note.  Awesome Note is my BFF!  This app is where I store my daily, weekly, and monthly to-do lists, as well as my goals, projects, and more.  I visit this app multiple times during the day, and highly recommend you get it!  (below are images I found on google to give you an idea of what Awesome Note looks like)

Anyway, back to goals!  First things first, WRITE YOUR GOALS DOWN!  When you put it in writing you're more likely to achieve it.  I'm currently reading Eat That Frog (yes, I love to read self improvement books), and in the first chapter Brian Tracy suggests that you give each of your goals a deadline.  He says "a goal or decision without a deadline has no urgency.  It has no real beginning or end."  So I went through my list yesterday and gave my goals a deadline.  I must admit, they did seem a  little more clear and attainable once I gave them a deadline.  I have 12 goals for 2013.  They range from fitness, to financial, to career, to personal goals.  

2012 is almost over.  This is a time to look forward, set your goals, and prepare for a healthy and fit 2013.  Start the New Year with a positive "I Can" attitude.  One of my favorite quotes "The body achieves what the mind believes".  Remember, the mind is a powerful thing and it only takes 30 days to form a habit.  End 2012 with a new list of goals, and begin 2013 moving closer to those goals!