2023 Goals

It's a brand new year, which means brand new goals!

And we've got the goals!

This year I am trying to be SMART about my goals so that I have a better chance of landing them all.  SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.  Last year I had goals, but they didn't quite measure up to a SMART plan.  Despite this, I did made some of them, so that was great!

Last year's goals included finishing a first draft of a story I've been writing for too many years and winning NaNoWriMo.  I didn't make either of those, sadly.  I also wanted to declutter and organize each room of the house.  Fail...  But I am doing Bible reading and prayer time nearly every morning!  Failed at getting a daily family devotion, but I did get it in for school Morning Basket time nearly every school day!  My school goals included having a plan and sticking to the plan (did pretty well at that) and to have 8 fluent readers by the end of 2022.  I made that goal, plus the last 2 are emerging readers!!!!  Woo-hoo!

My last post also told about a last minute goal I made on January 1st last year, reading 100 books in 2022, which I also made!  Probably because it was a SMART goal by accident.  LOL  In fact, if you look at the goals I did accomplish in 2022 (Bible reading & prayer time every morning, daily family devotion, having a school plan to follow, and having 8 fluent readers), they all had that SMART aspect to them.  Coincidence?  I think not!

Another thing I learned about people with ADHD is that goals mean nothing if they are not habits, as well.  I resonate with this so much!  If I can create a habit, especially hooking it to something I already do anyway, I am much more likely to succeed and build better habits & goals.

So let's see if my 2023 goals can be accomplished if I make them all SMART habits!

My first and most important goal this year is to read the entire Bible twice.  I've done once per year before, but I've never attempted to do it twice.  I found a plan on Pinterest to read it through in a month, but I thought that might make me a little too overachiever...  I downloaded a free bookmark from Answers in Genesis to read through chronologically, so my plan is to do that one first and then just go through from Genesis to Revelation after that.  What makes this goal SMART?

• Specific - Read the entire Bible twice, two different ways (chronologically and straight through)
• Measurable - The bookmark is checklist style, so I can just check off each section as I go.  For the second time through, I found a Bible reading chart through Pinterest several years ago.  I print one of these off for anyone who wants one for themselves or when we finish it as a family.
• Achievable - OK, jury's still out on whether or not it's achievable, but if I can read 100 books in a year, I think this is doable.
• Relevant - I want to dive into God's Word a lot more this year!
• Time-Bound - Hello, it must be done by 11:59pm on 12/31/2023
• Habit forming?  Yeah, this will build reading God's Word into my daily routine so that it becomes a habit for life!

My second goal is to continue my physical therapy and exercise routine.  Ever since my back issues and surgery in 2021, I have known it's time to make some physical changes.  Last year after surgery I began physical therapy to strengthen my core and my lower back.  But when the war in Ukraine broke out, I fell out of that habit due to grief (a good friend of ours died in the first few days, and we have many, many friends over there), and by this past fall my back was getting sore to the point that my doctor recommended physical therapy again, if for nothing else but to get me back into the routine.  On my closet door I have an exercise checklist with 31 boxes after each so I can know what I need to do, how many, and if I actually did them that day.  I do take Sundays off as a Sabbath rest to my body, but most other days I've been pretty diligent about getting those exercises and stretches done.  My body definitely thanks me for it!  I also need to lose a little weight, and I need to trim up my tummy and thighs.  It's not a crazy goal.  I don't need to be an entire size or two smaller, just 10 or so pounds, and the majority of that is in my tummy and thighs from all my pregnancies.  I'm mainly looking for a habit of healthy than a specific number like most people do at this time of year.  So what makes this goal SMART?

• Specific - A list of stretches and exercises to help my back and body get back on track, at a specific time of day (mornings right when I get up).  By the end of the year I also want my weight down and my tummy and thighs stronger and less flabby!  (Don't worry, the specifics are on my tracker - just don't want it all publicized!  LOL)
• Measurable - I can check off each exercise as I do it every day and track my weight monthly
• Achievable - I know I can do my exercises daily because I have done it before, and I know I can make this a daily habit.  If I'm exercising daily, my weight, tummy, and thighs should also cooperate.
• Relevant - I need to help my back since it doesn't have as much cushion between discs anymore, and I need my body to be strong and healthy to perform my duties as wife and mother (and someday grandmother)!
• Time-Bound - This year is for building the habit, so after 12 months, it should be well ingrained
• Habit forming?  Um, yeah, that's the whole point!

My third goal this year is a school goal: Have a Plan, Stick to the Plan.  This is the same goal I had for last year, and it worked out pretty well.  Not perfectly, but well enough.  So this year I want to try it again because I'm a perfectionist who gets bored with routine and also can constantly find ways to "improve."  Hopefully by making this goal SMART this year, it will help me really solidify this habit.

• Specific - I have a plan for the rest of this school year (I'm not changing a thing from last fall, though I nearly did!), and I'm going to just stick with it the rest of this year.  I will come up with a summer plan, and then I will plan for the following school year.  Highlighting dates we have off school in my Not Consumed planner has been incredibly valuable to keep me going.  It means I don't have to call off school so I can make it "better" every time we have a bad day, so I can specifically follow the specific plan I have already laid out.
• Measurable - Did I follow the plan today?  Yes?  Woot!  No?  Well, shoot.  But I can keep track of the days that I did school with the kids and didn't break down into a puddle of "it's not good enough!" tears.
• Achievable - Like I mentioned, highlighting my days and weeks off when I'm allowed to regroup and rest has been a game changer for me.  I now know when I can take off a day or two, when I plan to take off for vacations, and if something really truly is not working, it still gives me permission to rethink one thing if needed without making me feel like everything is an emergency and must be revamped yesterday.
• Relevant - Um, this is my literal job, educating my kids, so it's definitely relevant. LOL
• Time-Bound - I only have to follow this specific plan until the end of the school year (with permission to fix ONE or maybe two things, if necessary).  I only have to plan one summer term.  In May or June.  I only have to plan next year's school year NEXT SUMMER, not now.
• Habit forming?  I've begun this habit in 2022.  In 2023 I hope that keeping with the plan without indulging in revamping will help to build this habit into a long-term pattern.

I hesitate to make a fourth goal, but here goes: Build a writing habit.  I love to write.  Poems, short stories, novels, fiction, non-fiction - I love it!  I am never more relaxed and in my happy space than when I'm reading or writing.  Words are awesome!  I discovered a magazine at the library called "Writer's Digest" that has an example of a different poem form every month, and every so often I try to write a poem using the directions and sample as a model.  That's been both entertaining and challenging!  I have submitted entries to a poetry contest at the library this year and the MACHE flash fiction contest two years in a row (and won both times).  It's not like I don't write; I'm just not consistent.  I have been trying to build this habit for several years now, but I just can't seem to fit it in well.  I have never made a SMART goal out of it before, though, so here's hoping it is what kicks me into writing gear!

• Specific - My goal is to write a blog post and a poem every month.  I also want to spend 30 min. writing, revising, or editing every day.
• Measurable - I need to create a checklist like I use for my exercises to help keep me on track for my daily writing goal.  I'll add a spot to track if I've written a poem that month.  And posting my blogs will measure that.
• Achievable - Um, I think so?  I told you I hesitated to add a fourth goal, but I really want to build this habit, so....  I will make it or die trying!  LOL
• Relevant - Have I mentioned I love words?  Nothing is more relevant to me than reading and writing.  LOL
• Time-Bound - Twelve months, twelve blog posts, twelve poems.  Writing every day for 365 days (or at least not the days I'm too sick to type or pick up a pencil).
• Habit forming?  That's the goal!

Of course I will still be reading a lot, but I am not making a specific goal for that this year.  I do write all books I read in my Commonplace journal, and it's so much fun to go back through the years and remind myself what books I've read.  I should really use the Commonplace as it was meant to be used, too, writing quotes and things I've learned from the books, magazines, etc that I read over the year, but that's a habit for another year (unless it accidentally materializes).  And of course I'll continue my habit of Bible and prayer time in the mornings.  I do this after my exercises and shower but before the kids start getting up for the day.  This is probably where I would attempt to add writing, or possibly during the kids' Quiet Time.  I also want to continue decluttering, but since that is never going to be a once and done sort of thing in a house of a dozen people and three animals, it will just have to be an "as I have time" sort of deal.  LOL 

I'm curious what your goals are for the new year.  Share them in the comments!