The “short list” of my goal strategies
- Fewer, more important goals
- Using a planner for scheduling, review, and tracking
- Prioritizing tasks
- Rewards
- Crushing It worksheet
Even if you don’t read through this whole post, I encourage you to listen to episode 37 “How to Make New Year’s Resolutions That You Will Actually Keep This Year” of the Do It Scared Podcast. It will give you a whole new idea about New Year’s resolutions and goals. She also goes over her Goal Crushing Worksheet that I will be going through later.
Steps toward reaching my goals need to get into my monthly and weekly schedules so that I make sure I commit to what I need to be doing now that will bring me closer to my goal. Getting dreams scheduled is such an important aspect. It is hard, but I have to make sure I keep these plans like I would an important meeting or plans with others. If it is in my schedule that time is made for it. It is too easy to let things slip if they aren’t on my calendar!
Regularly reviewing my goals has been so helpful! There are many ways to do this including backgrounds, sticky notes, posters, and more. I do multiple methods that I review daily, but this is different for each person. First, I have my year’s mission goals on the inside cover of my planner. I also have a vision board and a list of all of my major milestone goals. Other than this daily review I am also choosing from these goals to determine my monthly and weekly goals.
Tracking is another aspect that I love about my planner. I track my daily success habits to make sure I am making the most of each day and doing the things I need to in order to live my best life as my best self. Goals and to-dos are also fun and motivating to track in my planner. I especially like to track weekly goals such as “work Zeke 3 times” or “workout 5 times”.
I am one that likes to make to-do lists. However, sometimes my many things on multiple lists can get overwhelming. I would try to prioritize, but it was often working on the urgent rather than the important. The prioritization technique I like best is to come up with about 3-5 “A” tasks that will get me closer to my goals and are the absolute priority for the week. Anything else can fall into the next tier of “should do” or the tier after of “would like to do”. I make sure that those A tasks get done before the other lists since I can’t cross everything off and I have to make sacrifices somewhere.
Giving myself rewards is so simple and yet so motivating! When I hit a goal I celebrate my success! Some goals for me were a simple of a reward as a gold start that I put in my planner. However, the bigger goals warranted bigger rewards, so this is where the fun begins! I made a list of recurring rewards and one-time rewards. Recurring rewards for me are things that I enjoy but are special and out of the ordinary. These include coffee, sushi, pickled asparagus, pedicures, and massages. I would determine bigger one-time rewards for bigger goals. One-time rewards would be things that I wanted but couldn’t justify spending the money on just to have them. Earning these was not only fun, but every time I see the item it reminds me of the goal I achieved and inspires me to keep crossing off more goals. As an added aspect of fun, I would wrap my one-time rewards and label them with the goal I needed to achieve to be able to unwrap them (not required!).
January Goal Crushing
Mission goal: All horse adventures without anxiety (full CTR, camping, group trail ride, show, jump, and ride bareback)
- Claim your target: Submit Harmony Horsemanship student level 2 video
- Refine your objective: By 1/31
- Understand your motivation: I want to grow in my horsemanship and show my progress by moving up the student levels
- Step it out:
- Get Zeke to gait towards me with nice ears
- Practice ground tying from 5’ away
- Practice lifting tail
- Practice boomerang at liberty
- Square riding at gait
- Practice trot/walk transitions
- Handle obstacles:
- Time --> Make it a priority to go work with Zeke.
- Delay in response to level 1 --> Submit right away to ensure more time
- Implement your plan: If I don’t follow through ,I won’t hit my big goal of passing level 5 this year once I get busy in the summer.
- Treat yourself: Starbucks coffee and celebratory Facebook post
- Claim your target: Weigh 180 or less (lose 6 pounds)
- Refine your objective: By 1/31
- Understand your motivation: I want to feel better about how my body works and be lighter for Zeke.
- Step it out:
- Make wise eating choices each day
- Workout 5-6 times a week
- Don’t eat when board
- Handle obstacles:
- Tempting food --> I can try it, but limit quantities
- Cravings/boredom --> Drink a 0-calorie beverage
- Implement your plan: If I don’t follow through, I won’t get healthier or feel better
- Treat yourself: Pickled asparagus
- Claim your target: Finish studying for Certified Management Accountant Exam
- Refine your objective: By 1/30
- Understand your motivation: So I can pass on my first attempt and get my certification to add to my value and move on.
- Step it out:
- Finish textbook
- Questions in textbook
- Learning Outcome Statements review
- Essay answer read through
- Practice exam
- Master flash cards
- Make cheat sheet for studying
- Lots of practice questions
- Handle obstacles:
- Lack of motivation --> snacks and favorite gum only when studying
- Time --> schedule study time
- Implement your plan: If I don’t follow through, I’ll have to retake the CMA exam, can’t do the CSCA exam and will be delayed in getting my MBA
- Treat yourself: 90 minute massage
- Claim your target: Zeke trot on command on the ground
- Refine your objective: By 1/31. Capable for multiple steps at any location (not just deep footing or with poles)
- Understand your motivation: I want to do this for Zeke’s wellness and to be able to compete in the Liberty division of Cowboy Dressage.
- Step it out:
- Trot on command with the aid of a ground/pole
- Trot full lunge circle with aid of ground/pole(s)
- Trot over poles
- Practice picking up trot on command
- Trot next to me on the ground
- Handle obstacles:
- Time --> Keep my commitments to go to the barn
- Balancing work types --> Be sure to do trot work at least once a week
- Weather --> Commit to going to the barn and dressing warm
- Implement your plan: If I don’t follow through, we won’t have a chance at the Liberty division and will be a set back from being able to canter.
- Treat yourself: Strip hair grooming tool