Wednesday, December 30, 2015

I do goals, not resolutions

On the eve of 2016, I’ve been thinking about goals, not resolutions but goals. To me the difference is resolutions lack clarity, lack specifics and can be way too broad for example “I want to lose weight”; ok that’s great but how?

As I work in human resources I’m often helping people with goals, work goals yes but the same theory applies. The key is break down the big goal into smaller goals that lend themselves to the big goal. Are they smart goals? 

What’s a smart goal, you’ll see different forms of definitions that more or less mean the same thing but this is my definitions.

S – Simple
M – Manageable
A – Attainable
R- Realistic
T – Timely 

Now one of my goals is to lose weight, my specific big goal is to get goal weight by December 2016. 

How am I going to do this? Focus on the steps to get me there not on a number per month. 

The goals:
Track my SmartPoints every day – Track it on the app and in my journal. Why twice? Well right now I need the app to learn the new SmartPoints but I like the journal because I can record when I eat and if I’m actually hungry or not. For example do I seriously need a snack 1 hour after lunch? 

Drink 6 cups of water a day – I have a plastic Venti Starbuck cup (which holds 3 cups) at my desk and access to free sparkling water at work plus I’m pretty much addicted to making my own Perrier with my SodaStream at home. I also have another one of these cups at home.
 
Activity:
Go back to Body Pump 2 days a week – schedule it in my calendar, pack the gym bag the night before. 
Run/Walk 3 days a week – schedule it in my calendar, pack the gym bag the night before 
Yoga – 2 days a week – my ultimate goal is 7 days a week so this will be modified as I go along. Roll out my yoga mat so when I get home it’s there looking at me. 
Meditate – one day a week, again the goal here is 7 days but I find this hard to shut my brain down without having a nap. Probably because whenever I try this I’m laying down. I need to try this sitting. I have no excuses I have Deepak Chopra CDs that I’ve also uploaded on my phone. 

Read one book a month, I used to be a voracious reader and not sure when that fell off.  It can be a fun, frilly book or “a learn something” book. I should actually update my Goodreads stuff and get more books I’ve read out there into Little Libraries after I’ve registered them with Bookcrossing. 

Motivation:
It’s been hard for me for a long while as I was in a funk: an unhappy at my job funk, the sadness of releasing so many employees funk, an unemployed funk, the angry I’m unemployed funk, the will I ever find a job funk, while at home I don’t want to get out of my pajamas funk, a first Christmas at home since my Dad passed away funk, a low self esteem funk but in the last few weeks I’m feeling more like myself again. 

A big part of that I think is now working at a company that isn’t as completely stressed out as the last one. Even though I know my contract is up in a year, I feel that during this year I can truly focus on my health goals. My stress isn’t nearly as high as it’s been for the past few years plus being surrounded by nice, friendly people helps a lot. Getting back into a routine has helped a lot too. I know I’m good at what I do and think I’ve impressed a few folks already so that’s in check. 

Now it’s working on the internal stuff like I’ve got my act together and silencing any negative thoughts.

It’s a half day tomorrow so I’ll do a bit of grocery shopping just to set up a healthy weekend. 

On the 1st I want to clean my house, the 2nd I get back to my Saturday Weightwatcher meetings and then back for Dopey/ Star Wars on Jan 3rd. Then it’s one day of work and then off to Orlando. 

I do love my WW meetings, my leader is awesome and my peeps (the other attendees) are awesome. 

I can’t believe I leave in less than one week for the craziest run goals I’ve ever attempted and going into it unprepared but positive – what the heck is that?

To keep my goals while I’m away I’ve preordered groceries to be delivered to my hotel room for the first time ever. I decided to try this because Orlando will be humid and there will be many exceptionally early wakeup times; just for Dopey that will be 4 days in a row of getting up ridiculously early. Actually my flight from Orlando to LAX and my flight home are all ridiculously early so it will be many days in a row of getting up at 2am ish. 

I’ve actually started to go to bed a little earlier to start the sleep conditioning. 

I want to wish all of you a very Happy New Year and an amazing 2016. 

Hugs!!!


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