My mom might get a kick out of this post. I usually have a hard time making goals. It’s not that I don’t want to accomplish things, it’s more like there are so many things that I would love to accomplish that I don’t know where to start. Well, I’m taking this class with my mom at TCC, it’s called Concepts of Lifetime Wellness. So I figure if I’m going to be taking this class and learning all these things, I might as well try and put them in to practice in my life. Of course, seeing as it’s 11:20 pm and I’m sleeping yet means I’m not doing a very good job at some of these things, but hey, I just really decided like, 20 minutes ago that I was going to do this, and I HAD to come and put it out here for you to read!

Before I set these goals, I have to make sure they are “SMART” goals, meaning: Specific (significant, stretching), Measurable (meaningful, motivational), Acceptable (agreed upon, attainable, achievable,  action-oriented), Realistic (relevant, reasonable, rewarding, results-oriented), and Time-Specific (time-based, timely, tangible, trackable). Now, the main words there are the ones from the book, the ones in parenthesis are other words I have found when researching SMART goals.

So here are some of my new goals for me to work starting Monday, Feb 2nd through the duration of my class:

1. Play the piano Monday through Friday from 6:30am-6:50am for the next 4 months.

• Specific: Days and times are specific. Monday through Friday, 6:30am-6:50am.
• Measurable. Actually, let’s go with Meaningful. If I get up and play the piano in the mornings, it could A) Improve my mood and the mood of my family in the mornings, and B) Improve my piano playing.
• Acceptable: I’m setting this goal up for myself because it is something that I want to do.
• Realistic and hopefully Rewarding: How hard can it be to play the piano in the morning? I realize it’s only 20 minutes, but that’s part of the realistic part. Eventually, I can add more time to it. And I do love piano music! I think it will be rewarding for me, as well as for my family.
• Time-specific and Trackable: The completion date of this goal is the end of my class in May. Play from 6:30am-6:50am. It’s trackable because I can put a check mark (or some other sort of mark) in the calendar that I will start using to track the progress of my goals. (This I am taking from the examples of my mom and Shannon, as they are both doing really great jobs of keeping track of their goals using calendars. Both in very different ways, but both very effective!)

2. Be in bed by 11pm Sunday through Thursday for the next 4 months.

• Specific: 11pm. (This might be stretchable..as in..it’s going to be tough for me to be in bed by that time….) I thought about going with mom’s 10pm, but that’s just not attainable for me.
• Meaningful: I will get the rest that I need…………………
• Attainable: Even if I think it might be impossible to be in bed by 11pm, it is actually possible…
• Rewarding: I will feel refreshed and well-rested in the morning. Oooh..more R words!
• Time-specific: 11pm. Trackable, also on the calendar. The completion date of this goal is the end of my class in May.

3. Do moderate physical activity for 30 minutes a day 4 times a week for the next 4 months. Remember, this is just where I am starting out. As I achieve these goals, I will make more advanced goals.

• Specific: 30 minutes 4 times a week
• Measurable: 30 minutes is a measurable amount of time.
• Acceptable: Since I am making this goal for myself, and not being by someone that this is what I HAVE to do, then it should be easier for me to decide to do it.
• Realistic: 30 minutes for 4 times a week is a very realistic amount of time for a person to exercise in a week.
• Time-specific: To be able to do this for 30 minutes a day, 4 days a week, for the next 4 months…or whenever my class is over.

Ok. I’m tired. I don’t know if that turned out the way I wanted it to, but at least it’s there. Somewhat. I think I had some other goals in mind, but at the moment, they have escaped me. And this is without taking any cold medicine tonight. Oh…that explains it.

Well, hopefully I’ll do better at these goals than I did with trying to keep up that food diary type thing before. And I know if I set my mind to it, I can do it.

There we have it. A new blog post, goals, and it’s still January. And it’s only been WEEKS since my last post, instead of Months like before! w00t!! Mabye I should add writing in the blog as a goal! HAHA!

Ice days…see what they can do for you?? So enough with my randomness and my stalling to go to bed. I hope you have enjoyed this little piece of my mind!!