It’s 15 days into 2020! How are you doing so far?
On New Year’s Eve I wrote about making resolutions and talking about switching from #resolutions to creating #goals. It would be great to hear how that is working for you.
One of my goals this month was to celebrate my birthday all month long. I just updated my calendar and I’m thrilled to see several days filled with friend dates. Above all, I love connecting with others and don’t care what we are doing. (To be fair, I have one big thing planned for this month and I’m super excited!)
I have two thoughts now that we are part way through January. First is to share another way to set goals – both short and long-term. Second is how do we stay motivated.
Almost 5 years ago one of my friends invited me to participate in something new – 101 things to do in 1001 days (just under 3 years for those of you who are wondering). I thought, “Wow! What a great idea!” I went about creating my first list. While I did come up with a list, implementing the list was daunting. When I stepped back to evaluate was wasn’t working,
I realized too many of my goals were broad, such as…
- Sell household stuff and girls stuff online.
- Find a type of exercise I like.
I believe healthy people never stop learning and growing so why not include these goals on my list?
Examples of aspirational goals for psychological/personal growth included:
- Exploring my identity as an entrepreneur.
- Improve my relationship with food.
The best goals, the one’s I found myself checking off, were those that were specific such as:
- Identify 10 types of self-care I enjoy.
- Create a space to hang art and work from kids.
- Get couch and dining room chairs cleaned.
So, what’s a woman to do when she finds herself stuck?
It’s kind of an ironic place to be when I help others stay motivated and work on their goals. Most noteworthy, I chose to live authentically! Not just talking the talk but walking the walk.
- I examined my list.
- Figured out the obstacles.
- Problem-solved how to make the list more manageable.
- Made sure to check my list from time to time.
- Continued to be active in the private group my friend established where we can support and encourage each other.
It worked. I made more progress on my list than I had been. I bet you are wondering if I finished all 101 tasks!
No, I didn’t. That’s okay because I wasn’t striving for #perfection, which is unattainable. Rather, I was striving for #excellence, doing my best. I certainly learned from the experience. Last January, I started my second round of #101thingstodoin1001days. This time, I took a different approach in identifying goals. Some have carried over and some are brand new. I’m excited to check-in with my list and see how I’m doing.
So….what do I want you to do? Strive for excellence! Have fun with it and let me know how it’s going for you.
Until next time, warmly
Dr. Lisa Irgang
P.S. Should we start a 101 list here?
