Welcome to day 31 of the December Self-Care Daily posts!!!!
You did it! I loved hearing from each of throughout the month. I really enjoyed hearing how the making the bed post, day 8, and the recipe days (day 9 & 28) were one of the most commented days lol tells me that it’s the little things in life that make the difference!
Speaking of little things. Today I invite you to write down 1 goal for the new year.
Just one.
It can be on any topic, the most common topics are
1) Physical
2) Mental-Wellbeing
3) Spiritual
4) Cognitive/Learning
You choose what you want to focus on in the new year.
I will tell you what mine is:
Spend quality time preparing for the baby’s arrival.
So now that I have that goal, I want to go over SMART goals with you and dissect my goal with you following that rule guide.
SMART goals is an acronym for the formulation of goals. It stands for
S | Specific | Make your goals specific and narrow for more effective planning.
M | Measurable | What evidence will you provide to show that you are making progress on your goal?
A | Attainable | Make sure your goal is reasonable and can be attained in the time frame you have set for yourself.
R | Relevant | Ensure your goals align with your values and long-term goals for life.
T | Timely | or time-based. Set a realistic time frame for you goal to be accomplished.
Okay so let’s look at my original goal I stated above:
Spend quality time preparing for the baby’s arrival.
That’s a good goal, however it is lacking the SMART aspects. So, I am going to start by rewriting it to be more Specific and time-based.
During the months of January through June, I will prepare for the arrival of my son.
Good! Now I have placed a time frame around the goal and made it more specific.
Now I can start dissecting that goal to make sure that it is measurable, attainable, and relevant.
How will I Measure my progress with this goal?
I will create a calendar with all my OBGYN appointments on it
I will set 1 goal per month to achieve as far as preparation such as obtaining a crib in say the month of March, and all the diapers I will need at the beginning in May, as well as my baby bag prep, and so forth. (I won’t get into all the details of my monthly plans, but you get the idea).
Attainable:
I will create checklist for each month, perhaps even weekly, for me to go off of. Understanding that these checklists are flexible and subject to change. (In other words I don’t want to be so rigid in my goals that I overwhelm myself). Then as I complete and item, I will mark it off on my checklist. In this way I will also have the evidence that I am making progress on my goal.
And Relevant:
Well, I am pregnant, and I do want the baby, so I think all of this aligns with my life values and long-term life goals lol. Not to make light of it but there you go.
Before I let you go, I want to just impart one last little set of helper guides around goals and then I promise I am done lol.
7 Simple Tips for Setting A New Goal or Resolution
1. Just pick one thing
a. don’t try and change your whole life – remember baby steps!
2. Plan Ahead – A marker for success is to plan ahead,
a. Read up on it
b. Plan for success
3. Anticipate Problems
a. There will be problems so make a list of what they’ll be. If you think about it, you’ll be able to anticipate problems at certain times of the day, with specific people or in special situations. Once you’ve identified the times that will probably be hard work out ways to cope with them when they inevitably crop up.
4. Pick a Start Date
a. You don’t have to make these changes on New Year’s Day. That’s the conventional wisdom, but if you truly want to make changes then pick a day when you know you’ll be well-rested, enthusiastic and surrounded by positive people.
5. Go for It
a. On the big day go for it 100%. Make a commitment and write it down on a card. You just need one short phrase you can carry in your wallet. Or keep it in your car, by your bed and on your bathroom mirror too for an extra dose of positive reinforcement.
6. Accept Failure
a. If you do fail and sneak a cigarette, miss a walk or shout at the kids one morning don’t hate yourself for it. Make a note of the triggers that caused this set back and vow to learn a lesson from them.
7. Plan rewards
a. Small rewards are great encouragement to keep you going during the hardest first days. After that you can probably reward yourself once a week with a magazine, a long-distance call to a supportive friend, a siesta, a trip to the movies or whatever makes you tick.
And there you have it my friends, our last prompt on this journey of self-care.
Any of these prompts I have provided can be used at any time, no matter the season. I encourage you to find what helps you refill you cup of energy and self-love and utilize it daily.
Good Luck my friends and may self-care be with you!
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