Monday morning, or at some point during the day, I figure
out what my goals for the week are.
I set myself up for the week by determining what I’m going
to accomplish and when. It usually includes when I’m going to work out, that’s
the highest on my priority list. I do a variety of exercises, so I like to
strategize. Which day is the best for just walking? What is my work schedule
like and can I fit the exercise I want to do in when it’s available?
If I’m going to swim, I need to be sure I have my suit
packed and ready so I can bring it to work. I also have to be free during lap
swim, which is a pretty short window.
Treadmill day means I need spare workout clothes for work.
And my sneakers.
Now that it’s getting colder, walking around campus might
mean I need to bring a heavy coat, hat, and mittens.
If I think about it in advance, I’m much more likely to do
the activity.
I also tend not to skip because I’ve planned it.
I also schedule in other activities I’m going to do. On
Saturday I sometimes, usually, often play Dungeons and Dragons. Unless we cancel.
Sometimes that happens. One week I cancelled because when I looked at my week I
realized I wasn’t going to have time to buy and load pellets for our pellet
stove.
Calcifer, the pellet stove, loves pellets.
He also keeps me warm in the winter, so I tend to like to
please him with pellets.
More importantly, when I looked at what I needed to do, and
what I wanted to do, adulting trumped game.
I didn’t start out making such intricate goals.
I wasn’t even sure I wanted to make goals.
DON’T PRESSURE ME!
Simple goals are things like. I want to hit my step goal 5
times a week. Or I will exercise this week. I want to save money this week.
"They" tend to call these SMART goals. You're supposed to make them specific and blah blah.
I mean, I get it.
I just,....
I mean, let’s be honest. I would rather make the vague
goals. I don’t know what my life is like. What if something happens at 1 pm and
I can’t make it to the treadmill?
Now don’t you fret. Now don’t you frown.
I’ll go for a walk
Around the town.
Now don’t you fret and don’t you frown. I’ll go for a walk around the town.
Yeah, if you weren’t singing along right there, you
obviously never went to summer camp.
I have backup plans. Walking is always a backup plan because
I can do it anytime and it doesn’t have a schedule to adhere to.
Help pressure?
Pressure help?
Something like that.
Anyway, I did have assistance in moving my goals from very simple goals to more specific ones. Even though I very highly resisted the specific thing.
I’ll also say that not all of my goals are specific. Work out goals, however, are fairly specific because they are a priority for me that often gets left out. I honestly can’t be specific with everything and function in my adult life.
But I do like making them, now that I've started. Once I've written them I post them in a Facebook group I belong to. This is also the group that helped me learn how to make goals.
It was actually fortuitous that I found this particular group because it's been very helpful to me. Having a group of like-minded people who are working on not necessarily the same thing but similar things is nice.
It was also pretty fortuitous that I started setting goals with my Facebook group because I'm also participating in an IRL group that focuses on making healthier life choices. One of their activities was making goals, and I was way ahead on that one.
Like, #SorryNotSorry but I already have the goals thing set.
Honestly though, having a support group of some kind is important and there is no "one size fits all" deal. The Facebook group works for me. Something else might work for you.
Or maybe a different Facebook group. Mine is super specific.
Also, do you like how I've been dancing around this whole Facebook group thing?
That's for the dramatic build up so you come back next time....
#SorryNotSorry
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