Here I am, chowing down on perhaps the world’s best grilled cheese and tomato soup, dreaming of the donuts around the corner calling my name. I’m knee deep in Pike’s Place in Seattle. And later, I’m going to indulge in the best pizza I have ever eaten. I’m going to eat the entire thing. No shame in admitting that. While I’m preparing for the fact that my pants will no longer fit me, take some time and read today’s guest post my Mary from Giving Up on Perfect
It’s January again, a season of resolutions and goals and oh, who am I kidding? If we let it, January – with all its fresh starts and expectations – can be a season of stress, frustration and even disappointment.
I mean, who really follows through on their New Year’s plans?
Lose 25 pounds.
Floss every day.
Read 100 classic books this year.
Make crafts and cookies with my children every day.
Clean my house from top to bottom each week.
Never touch another piece of chocolate again!
Okay, so maybe you aren’t quite that unrealistic with your goals (I hope not!). But I just have to ask: What are you doing to make your goals for 2011 attainable?
When I sat down to make my list of goals for this year, I filled both sides of a piece of paper. And the margins. What can I say? I have a lot of room for improvement!
But looking at that list and thinking about the steps I’ll need to take to meet each one is so overwhelming!
I feel like I’ve read a million different perspectives on making – and meeting – goals. Some experts suggest pursuing just one major goal at a time. Others say it’s okay to have several goals, but only if you have specific action steps for each one. Still others stress tangible, measurable resolutions, while some experts throw caution and to-do lists to the wind and shout, “Just do it already!”
How can a mere mortal (with a tendency to procrastination and, let’s be honest, laziness) possibly wade through all the advice, encouragement, inspiration and expectation?
Here’s my plan: Find the underlying theme in all my goals, and focus on that.
This idea isn’t original to me, and as a matter of fact, it’s similar to what many bloggers (and, I assume, regular non-blogging folks) are doing by choosing one word to focus on this year.
At first I didn’t think I could possibly choose one word to summarize my hopes and dreams for an entire year. I mean, I like my words, people! But after days of [jealously] rolling my eyes at blog posts and kicking myself for being too wordy to pick just one word and lamenting (yes, lamenting) the fact that my list of resolutions is two pages long, I’ve realized that a common thread runs through every single one of my goals.
My theme for 2011 is stewardship. Everything I’m working on – health, parenting, marriage, writing, finances – is on my list because I want to take better care of the blessings I’ve been given.
Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?
Okay, it actually kind of was. I’ve had the same basic resolutions for, oh, the last decade. At least. But it’s only been the past few months that I’ve recognized the theme in my goals.
Nerdy side note: I wasn’t sold on the word “theme” to describe what I meant, so I tried all night to figure out another way to say it. A few synonyms that I found were motive, purpose, issue, burden, core, crux, essence, gist and heart.
Don’t you just love those?
(You can also choose from nubbin, nucleus, staple or bottom. But they sound a little weird to me!)
So, as you make your own list of resolutions and head off to the gym (or perhaps to the sink to floss for the first time in whoknowshowlong? No? Just me?), I’d like to wish you a Happy New Year full of goals you can meet and a theme that drives them – and you – all!.
Did you make resolutions or goals for 2011? What’s your theme/motive/purpose/burden/heart?
Mary is mom to a {usually} sweet, {always} sassy toddler and wife to her high-school sweetheart. When she’s not snapping photos left and right, reading a good book or organizing her to-do lists, you can find Mary {avoiding housework} curled up on the couch with her laptop. Mary blogs about her imperfect life at Giving Up on Perfect, where she writes about family, faith, books, diet-friendly and fiber-filled foods like granola bars and nachos, celebrity look-alikes and chick flicks. You know, the important stuff.
Did you know that you can save my recipes in your very own recipe box, courtesy of ZipList? Just click on the link above, under "recipes" to get started. Want to learn more? Hop on over to read about this awesome new feature.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I think we all have these resolutions. Mine would be being a better person.
I blogged about making small family goals instead of setting myself up for failure. I had my preschooler help and we decided on “take more walks” and “try one new food each week”. They keep picking strange looking vegetables that no one likes, but at least we aren’t failing! I figure if I don’t set an exercise goal then anything is better than nothing, right? But I like your underlying theme idea. It makes sense to just work on a theme. Less pressure.
{ 1 trackback }