New Day, New Week, New Month, New Quarter - No Foolin'
Happy April 1st!
While I know that spring technically begins on March 20th, in my head it begins on April 1st. Not sure why – it could be because the sun is out longer during the day and we begin to see more flowers popping up through the ground and some, i.e. the crocuses and daffodils, are getting ready to bloom.
This year’s April 1st, I think is a win-win for us. Not only is it the beginning of a new month, it is also the beginning of a new week and a new quarter (can you believe 1/3 of the year is already gone?!)
Although it is nearing the end of the day, it is not too late to set up your goals for this week, this month, this quarter, and to even reflect on what you accomplished today. Why would you want to do that you might ask? Good question!
Have you ever had some great ideas and plans? But they stayed ideas and plans because you did not act? And then, one day you are musing over your current state and how you are lacking progress and realize those great ideas and plans could have come to fruition by now had you acted on them? If this is an experience you have had, do not worry. You are not alone. I think most of us have done this at sometime or another. I also understand all the mind games we can play with ourselves to keep our ideas and plans just that, ideas and plans.
Does the idea of setting goals cause your stomach to flip, your chest to tighten, and your breath to quicken? If so, that is okay. Go slow. Remember to breathe – what we tend to do when stressed is constrict and hold our breath. It makes us feel worse. Take a deep breath. Hold it. Slowly exhale. Repeat.
Even if you write down a goal – and you write it down in pen – that is okay. It is a goal. It is not set in stone. You may find that it was more intricate than you initially thought. Or there may have been some curveballs thrown your away that prevented you from achieving your goal in the timeframe you originally noted. Or those mind games got in the way. What matters to begin with is that you identify one, or more, goals that you would like to work on. Write them down. Set up steps to act towards achieving your goal.
After you have been able to identify a/some goal(s), then you want to make your goal is a SMART goal:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Timely
Following this format will help you work towards being successful in reaching your goals.
A good routine to follow towards helping you achieve your goals is to:
-set no more than 3-4 daily goals that will help you work towards achieving your weekly goals. Review at the end of each day as to the status of your goals and what needs to be carried over to the next day as well as what was accomplished today. Always celebrate your successes no matter how small you consider them. Any goal success reinforces you to be able to keep working towards achieving bigger goals. When we can enjoy our little successes, we will be able to relish and enjoy our larger successes.
-on Sundays plan out your weekly goals. Write out what steps you need to take during the week so by week’s end, you will have achieved your weekly goals. Before you plan out your weekly goals, review the previous week’s goals and assess what was achieved, what needs to be carried over, and what needs to possibly be revised. Again, celebrate your successes! (Sometimes a success can be recognizing why the goal wasn’t achieved)
-at the end of the month, review what your goals were for that month. Again, look at how you did with these goals. Do you need to revise any of the goals? Do you need to put more action steps into achieving a goal? Remember to celebrate your successes! After reviewing the previous month’s goals, what are your goals for the upcoming month? As you write out your new monthly goals, keep in mind that these goals will in turn help you identify your weekly and daily goals for that month.
-at the end of the quarter, review what were your goals for that quarter as well as how you did with your work on these goals. Assess if you wish to continue these goals in the next quarter, revise your goals, and/or add new goals. Your quarterly goals help you when breaking down your monthly, weekly, and daily goals.
I purposely outlined the above to begin with our daily goals. When someone is new to this process, or those who have found themselves repeatedly avoiding their goals, starting at yearly or quarterly goals can seem extremely overwhelming. If this sounds familiar, then begin with your daily goal. I am a firm believer in baby steps – your first goal could be identifying and writing down a goal.
Your goal for tonight is to identify at least 1 goal for you to work on tomorrow. You can do it!
If you have any questions, want to learn more, or work on those mind games, either email me at denisestyer@comcast.net or schedule a complimentary discovery call with me at www.calendly.com/denisestyer.
I wish you a fabulous week!
Denise