Frankly, I’m not a fan of New Year’s “resolutions.” The thought of taking one day to analyze my life and see what I’ve been doing right or wrong and change it seems strange. Don’t we do that constantly? I frequently study what’s working, what makes me feel good about myself, and what brings joy, happiness, and success to my life and others’. If I need to make changes, I do—no matter what time of year it is.
Now goals, that’s a whole different animal. I love, love, love goals. Specifically, I like SMART goals. They keep me on track, give me accountability, and push me to achieve the important things.
I find goal setting to be stimulating. It makes me think about what I want my life to look like and how much time I am willing to devote to each facet of it.
Setting many goals that aren’t attainable based on the number of hours in the day doesn’t make sense and sets us up for failure. Setting fewer, more critical goals sets us up for success. I start with five annual goals and adjust throughout the year as necessary.
Here are some of my 2021 goals:
1. Send at least 52 pieces of personal snail mail.
I know how excited I am when I receive happy snail mail in my physical mailbox. I’m hoping to share that joy by sending physical cards, primarily focusing on birthday, anniversary, and, when appropriate, “You are Awesome!” cards.
My goal: Send at least one card per week to family and friends.
2. Contribute to my community’s health and well-being.
I have O negative blood. One of the benefits of this blood type is that it is universally beneficial. Everyone can use O negative blood. To that end, both whole blood and platelets with this blood type are very much in demand. Since I am healthy and have a flexible schedule, I can take the time to help others in this way.
My goal: Make 12 whole blood or platelet donations.
3. Send at least 52 pieces of professional snail mail.
Individuals come to me when they are in challenging situations, feeling down on themselves, and needing to make hard choices. In addition to sending birthday acknowledgments, I will send notes of encouragement and congratulations.
My goal: Send at least one card per week to family and friends.
4. Take care of myself.
The best gift we can give ourselves is the gift of good health. Am I ever going to be a professional athlete? No. Will I devote an hour every day to exercise? No. But there are some things I can do to point me in the right direction of maintaining good health.
My goal: Exercise six days per week for at least 30 minutes per exercise session and drink at least 70 ounces of water per day.
5. Maintain a gratitude journal.
Studies show gratitude can help with health and well-being. I heard about the research. Intuitively, I knew it was true, yet, I never focused on gratitude . . . until this year. I started a gratitude journal on January 1st, 2020. I’ve not missed a day yet and can feel the power. Every night I write down at least three things to be grateful for and detail one meaningful experience from the day. It takes all of two minutes, yet I end my day grateful, not stressed. Big. Win.
My goal: Daily, record three things to be grateful for and one noteworthy experience.
What are your focus goals for 2021? How do those goals align with your Values and Needs? What’s essential for you to connect with as we turn the page into the new year?
Cindy Jobs
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