Monthly Goals vs. New Year's Resolutions

Why hadn't I thought of this before? Some people are geniuses, and some people (like me) steal their great ideas. Here is what my friend Briana wrote in response to her husband's fantastic idea for setting reasonable goals. ( I would personally insert "wife" where she has "mom," and "marriage" instead of parenting, since I find it the more challenging endeavor, but I empathize with her and share a few of the same personality traits which lend themselves better to the following plan than long-term ones.)

I really enjoy setting goals, especially since becoming a mom. I think because the task of parenting is so incredibly daunting to me most days, and the goal of parenting often seems intangible, difficult to measure and impossible to obtain, I nearly crave goals that are otherwise.

So, at the start of each year, I take stock. As I consider the present circumstances, I anticipate the future possibilities as best I can given all things remain the same (which, of course, we all know they do not!)

To me, 30 days seems more doable than 365...I'm hoping that some of the things I attempt in the following 30 day challenges may just "stick" and last beyond 30 days, maybe even 365 days. We'll see!

...At the start of each month, my plan is to write a separate post detailing that month's challenge(s), the why behind it, and the plan for executing it successfully. My hope is that publishing my goals on the world wide web will be some incentive to actually sticking with the challenges.

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I've given this plan some thought, and have come up with my own set of monthly goals/challenges.

Jan- Big Goal-- find a part-time job to help ease the financial pressure we're under right now.

Smaller goals: practice listening intently to people and not interrupting or overtalking them; exercise 3-4x/wk; lose 8 lbs; send 8 cards by snail mail; finish the gift for my mom's b'day

Feb- Big Goal: lose 8 more pounds and crave good colorful food. How? Eat 5 different colors of fruit and/or veggies every day.

March-- Big Goal: Get Ben happily married off! How: Do everything possible within me to live peaceably in the midst of stress. Smaller goals: lose 4 more pounds. How? "Burn, baby, burn your buns off!"

April- Big Goal: To rekindle the romance in our relationship and celebrate it. How? Take a trip together, just the two of us.

May- Big Goal: to improve the aesthetics in one room of the house for under $50. How: Thoroughly declutter ,deep clean, repaint, change fixtures and/or furniture as necessary.

June- Big Goal: walk the dog 4x/ wk for 15 mins minimum. How? With the leash:)

July- Big Goal: Beat the heat.. How? Go swimming at least twice with the boy.

August-- Big Goal: to keep working part-time in a meaningful, decent-paying job. How? Re-evaluate and apply elsewhere if need be.

September-- Big Goal: Make most of the Christmas gifts for people who'd appreciate them. How? With art supplies or sewing machine. Shop for stuff that the rest would appreciate.

October--Big Goal: Deep clean the public rooms of the house. How? One room at a time. Continue working on Christmas presents.

November: Big Goal: Deep clean the private rooms of the house. How: Same way. Also help with Samaritan's Purse as a volunteer packer.

December: Big Goal: enjoy plays and productions (including The Nutcracker) How: Schedule them, reserve tickets early, invite people, and keep weekends free.