{charmed earth}

The Lifestyle blog of Katie Storms.: something simple, something sweet, something styled.

01 January 2012

{something specific} goal setting


Goal Setting
As I've been wrapping up my last to-do items for the holidays, goals for 2012 have been on my mind. I've been making list after list in my journal {that still needs a prettier cover}

I'm always hearing people tell me that they don't know how I can get it all done. Believe me, I don't. But one thing I've learned that's helped me is to be specific and to write it down.

1. Be Specific: Be specific with your goal. Be specific with your deadline. And be specific with your reward. 
Sometimes I say I want to create potholders for my sister for her birthday. So I buy the fabric and let it rest. But then I tell myself, more specifically, that I have a few hours of time on December 22. So I write in my planner or on a list "December 22: sew potholders." By being more specific and writing it down, I am more likely to follow through and avoid overbooking myself.

Being specific helps in all sorts of ways--from hitting deadlines to getting rewards. One of my long-term goals is to "Live with Less" but another long-term goal is to buy "Vintage and Handmade." To balance, I can be specific by saying: "let go of 25 fashion items" = "new spoon ring reward on etsy."


2. Write It Down and Cross It Off the List:
I use my planner, tons of journals, and my stickies on my computer. Stickies are perfect for my work goals and my creative goals. As you can see, I haven't typed my entire 29+1 list. It's written in a journal, but I thought making a sticky with it would keep me even more focused. It helps to share your goals with others, too. It makes it more of a commitment. Plus, you have people there to support you when it get tough--like my 2010 goal to not buy anything new or my sister's goal to not eat sweets for all of 2011!

3. Make Long-Term Goals and Short-Term Goals

It's a good feeling to cross any goal off your list. But it's also no fun if you can cross everything off in a weekend. That's why you need long term goals--like "Living with Less," "Cutting Back on Sweets," and "A Photo and A Line A Day" projects. But these long term goals are much more manageable with short-term goals embedded within them. By "Cutting Back on Sweets" in 2012, my plan is to have 1 Coca-Cola per week and 1 official sweet per week. I'm not denying myself the sweet occasions, but I'm making my limits specific. It's something that's not only important to my health and my baby's health, but it's a lifestyle change will be meaningful for years to come. Other short term goals just keep me going. I like to know that I've accomplished something. It might be simple like creating a new DIY project or shredding all of our old documents {a current to-do item for this week! at the UPS Store}.

4. Reward Yourself
So many of us in the blogging world trumpet this one, but it's a must have with goal setting. And it works perfect with some of my long-term goals. A lot of the time I find myself purchasing something new for myself without much meaning. But when I see it as a reward for an accomplishment, it's just like that gold star on a spelling test. I also reward myself in smaller ways. For years, I've been using stickers in my planner on days that I exercise. It's visually appealing to see a month of stickers. It's a simple--and age-old--reward system. Make your rewards meaningful, too, to your values. I value time spent with my true love, Jv. I also value living a more simple and healthy lifestyle. So rewards like a date-night or a pedicure are some of my top picks. I also value supporting other artists and trying to reuse as much as possible, which is why many of my rewards for 2012 will be directed at buying handmade and vintage.

5. Make It Meaningful
Make your goals so that they reflect your values. Like I mentioned above with rewards, goals that reflect your personal values will be more meaningful and rewarding to you in the long run. It also makes you rethink how you value your time and money in the long run. Somethings I value most are art, simplicity, and relationships. By setting my goals to reflect these values, I feel more accomplished and, well, as cheesy as it sounds, happy.

I hope this helps you set your 2012 goals.

xo.

2 comments:

  1. Nice direction! I have been so inspired by you and your goals in the past. This year I am doing just as you say. Be specific and write it down. So simple, yet so much more effective. Thanks for sharing your words.

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  2. Thanks, Nikki. You are too sweet. xo

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