I love setting goals. It’s one of my favorite things about a new year. I have this dorky folder with goals from every year since 2004. Not only my goals. This folder includes goals for myself, my immediate family, and my brother and sister and their families. Creating a plan of action makes me happy, as does looking back over the many years of hopes, plans and accomplishments.
My 2004 goals were two pages long, divided into five categories. This year’s goals started out color-coded. I do not mess around with this stuff!
There have been a lot of exercise and diet goals set over the years…some accomplished and many not…some accomplished then needing to be revisited a few years later. My kids have set numerous goals for trying new amusement park rides and video game victories (those are the goals you set when you are seven and ten and twelve). I’ve set many variations on living in the present moment. This year’s iteration of that is “letting go of what isn’t mine.” Yoga also shows up frequently. As do scrapbooking and date nights.
Some goals have been set that aren’t really in that person’s control, such as wanting to have a new cousin or growing taller. Some goals have been subverted by extenuating life circumstances, and in those cases, we always encourage write-in accomplishments that were unforeseen and unplanned, because those count too.
This year my goals run the gamut from supporting my people who need it to continuing on my journey to get one of my books published to scrapbooking (again!) to hosting a few game nights to updating my will. Kind of all over the place, I know, but that’s why another goal is to use my planner well to manage my multi-faceted life. My goals are recorded in my planner and they are taped to my bathroom mirror, as well as being housed in the previously mentioned dorky folder. So not achieving them will not be due to forgetting about them. It will most likely be due to biting off more than I could chew or procrastinating to the point where they become 2021 goals. That happens. It’s why many of my goals from 2004 are also goals for 2020, and that’s okay. Executing a plan may take longer that expected, but I still like a plan. It’s also easier for me to let go of what isn’t mine when I feel in control of what is.
How about you? What are your hopes and plans for 2020? Want to share? Just know that if you do, I might be checking back in with you on January 1, 2021 to see how you did and what’s next!
We’re hoping to read 50 books and get more blog follows!
Finishing my book!!!
I’m going through STUFF: My mother’s incredibly touching memorabilia and hundreds of funny and amazing and sad pictures. I’m dividing things into piles and will send them to those who might benefit by having them. These are usually things I do not have the heart to throw away! Let others throw them for me if need be.
By going through my own trunks and boxes and photo albums I want to discover the vast array of experiences I’ve had — the good, bad and ugly.
By wallowing in my mother AND the activities I love, I appreciate just how like her I am. Not exactly, for sure. But our love of the natural world – and of grandchildren – since we have the best ever.