My 2012 Goals

[Maya2066]

Thanks Rick...Excellent post... That's what I do from time to time. Maybe not as often as I should. But that's what has sustained me up to now. I'm good at it for the income golas but I forget for the cigarettes and diet. The frustrating reality of still engaging in certain behaviors that I want to change is very strong sometimes. But I'm training my mind....

[foreverdigital]

Hey guys. I'm new here but I've been working on my own list of personal goals for over 4 years now. I write down 101 goals I want to complete each December and start every year on Jan 1. I used to track it on my blog but then built a website to help me do it: Develop, track and achieve your goals in 365 days or less - Accompl.sh

Matthew Cluff's advice about SMART goals is totally true. Especially the part about being able to measure your goals. Building habits is great, but you really need to have some indicator that you've achieved your goal. "Quit smoking" is good, but "Go more than 3 months without having a cigarette" is even better.

It also helps to bring your friends and family along for the ride. They'll keep you on task and motivated. If not there are always forums like this! It's amazing how supportive complete strangers can be sometimes!

Good luck with your goals!

[justhopingandsearching]

Originally Posted by Maya2066

I would like to start working on my 2012 goals early because I really want it to be my BREAKTHROUGH year.

Currently I'm overweight, a smoker, unemployed and not exercising.

So my goals are:

1) Lose 60 lbs by June 2012
2) Be smoke-free
3) Have the habit of exercising every day
4) Have an income of at least $5,000/month

This is going to be a real challenge . That's why I'm committed to reporting my progress here. I want to be able to report the thought processes, the setbacks, the turning points and the successes.

I want to do this for personal and professional reasons. I'm starting a new career as a Life Coach (specializing on self-esteem issues) and I since I would like to be a model for my clients, I want to understand and experience what it takes to have a breakthrough and live with integrity. I'm tired of setting goals and not supporting myself in achieving them.

2011 was a "preparation" year. I got rid of a job that I didn't like and got trained in a profession that fits me better and will allow me to contribute to other people's lives.

I hope that others will join me in this journey and that the more advanced souls will share their wisdom and experience.

I think you're trying to do too much. Honestly, with the goals you have might just do better limiting yourself to 1-2 goals, and putting all of your attention and focus on those 2 goals.

Take the ideas here, and apply them to your goal(s), or better yet go buy The Power of Less by Leo Babauta.

[Maya2066]

Thanks Rick, these are great suggestions that I am already partly incorporating. It's just a matter of being consistent.

[Maya2066]

Originally Posted by justhopingandsearching

I think you're trying to do too much. Honestly, with the goals you have might just do better limiting yourself to 1-2 goals, and putting all of your attention and focus on those 2 goals.

Take the ideas here, and apply them to your goal(s), or better yet go buy The Power of Less by Leo Babauta.

You are right, sometimes I think I'm trying to do too much. But these are my top goals for 2012. And in a way they are interrelated. They all have to do with me becoming better and listening to my Higher Self. I guess in the upcoming months I can focus on them one at a time.

[justhopingandsearching]

Originally Posted by Maya2066

You are right, sometimes I think I'm trying to do too much. But these are my top goals for 2012. And in a way they are interrelated. They all have to do with me becoming better and listening to my Higher Self. I guess in the upcoming months I can focus on them one at a time.

The following information is taken from the article Really Simple Goal Setting by Leo Babauta from Zen Habits. I think it applies to what you said previously.

Originally Posted by Leo Babauta

What if You Have More Than One Goal?

Many people will say that having just one goal is impossible for them. I have two possible solutions for that:

1.) Just do one goal for now. You can still do the other goals, but put them off for a month or two. Focus on one goal for at least a month … and turn it into a habit. So if you want to run a marathon, create the habit of running each day. If you want to write a novel, create the habit of writing each morning. If you want to create a successful blog, create the habit of writing insanely useful posts each day. Once your first goal becomes a habit and is on autopilot, turn to the next goal — you don’t have to worry as much about the first goal because it has become automatic.

2.) Do more than one goal, but keep them simple. The danger with more than one goal is that you’ll spread yourself too thin. If you have 3-4 goals, that’s doable if you don’t create half a dozen tasks you need to accomplish for each goal every week. That will lead to a lack of effectiveness. Instead, find ways to focus on one goal at a time: just focus on one of your goals this week, or just one of your goals each day, or just one of your goals in the morning and another in the afternoon, for example. This way you won’t lose effectiveness.

Personally, I think using a combination of one and two could work really well for you. By this I mean, start off by just focusing on developing the habit of exercising everyday for a month or two, while working on your business by committing to doing just 1 business-related task every day. After those two habits are on autopilot you can then focus on stop smoking and slowly upping the ante of the previous 2 by for example, committing to performing 2 business-related tasks everyday.

Here's an example of how to start exercising regularly from 6changes.com:

Originally Posted by 6changes.com

Week 1: Lace up your shoes and get out the door. That’s it. Go back inside and do whatever you want after that. Choose a trigger (after your morning coffee, right when you get home from work, etc.) and do it right after the trigger each day.

Week 2: Lace up your shoes, get out the door, and walk for 5 minutes. That’s all. Baby steps.

Week 3: Lace up your shoes, get out the door, walk for 10 minutes.

Week 4: Lace up your shoes, get out the door, walk for 15 minutes.

Week 5: Lace up your shoes, get out the door, walk for 15 minutes, with a couple of 30-second jogging intervals thrown in.

Week 6: Lace up your shoes, get out the door, walk for 20 minutes, with four 30-second jogging intervals thrown in.

Week 7: Lace up your shoes, get out the door, alternate jogging and walking for 20 minutes.

Week 8: Lace up your shoes, get out the door, and jog for 20 minutes, with a few walk breaks thrown in.

That’s it. Small baby steps, and after two months, you have a new habit that’s pretty firmly ingrained.

Oh, and for smoking don't try to do it all at once! Focus on smoking 1 less cigarette a week (or every 2 week or 3 weeks whatever is easier for you!), until they have been eliminated altogether, which depending on how much you smoke right now, may in fact take a year, but the point is to slowly ease yourself off of smoking, so that you don't ever feel deprived or in a moment of weakness go back to smoking.

The whole point of this is to take your time. Don't try to get it all done yesterday. Start ridiculously small and slowly build it up.

[Maya2066]

It's really working to feel all the feelings I will feel when I'm slimer now. These feelings and thoughts allow me to be more in control and delay instant gratification. I'm seeing how I will be in June 2012, remembering that each day I stick to my diet I'm closer to my end goal.

I sure hope I'm able to hang on to these feelings.

[Maya2066]

The advice of focusing on one goal is really important. Over the past 2 weeks, I have found that I'm able to tackle 2 of my goals: my diet and working on getting an income. but I forget about the cigarettes and exercising every day. I guess I will focus on the latter in a month or so.

[Prinie]

Yay! I'm rooting for your success.

I always feel like such an outsider because all of my friends and the people I know have lists of goals that they want to accomplish and I don't genuinely have those. I just feel things out or have the overall aim in mind.

But I want to contribute so...
2012 Goals

• Move on to Senior year of nursing school! XD
• Show my blog to others more
• Get more nursing experience, have a better understanding of my role as a nurse.
• Develop a more consistent, fun, work-out routine
• Get a job in a hospital or clinic to learn more skills

[Maya2066]

Originally Posted by Prinie

Yay! I'm rooting for your success.

I always feel like such an outsider because all of my friends and the people I know have lists of goals that they want to accomplish and I don't genuinely have those. I just feel things out or have the overall aim in mind.

But I want to contribute so...
2012 Goals

• Move on to Senior year of nursing school! XD
• Show my blog to others more
• Get more nursing experience, have a better understanding of my role as a nurse.
• Develop a more consistent, fun, work-out routine
• Get a job in a hospital or clinic to learn more skills

Thanks, I'm rooting for your success too. Use this thread to post your progress so we can support each other

[Maya2066]

This week has been very good in term of my diet. I have stayed away from carbs which is a huge victory since I'm a carb addict. I don't have cravings anymore and I'm feeling much better. Rather than a diet, it's a lifestyle change that I'm implementing. I will weight myself at the end of the month to see if I'm on the right track.

Out of the blue I got an interview with a company I like a lot for Monday. I welcome this opportunity since I haven't heard yet from my counsellor about my business plan. Anyway, I may need to have an income from a job first before I can take my business off the ground.

I'm not exercising regularly yet (still working on that one. I'm still smoking although much less. I'm giving myself the end of the month to implement these 2. I can't believe 2012 is now around the corner.

[Maya2066]

I had my interview today. I'm not sure it went well. So I'm going to focus on sending good vibes to the interviewer so shewill call me for a2nd interview.

I blew my diet yesterday, I was so nervous thinking about the interview. So I'm putting myself back on track today.