Monthly Goals vs Yearly Goals

The eve of 2011 seems like a great time to start new. To feel fresh. To be happy. To feel motivated! Right?! Well, I certainly felt NONE of those things today as I contemplated the year to come. This last year has been a hard one. I had a baby, who I love more than I can ever describe, but whose arrival came earlier than expected, throwing "my plans" for a loop. Before finding out I was pregnant with said baby, I was on a roll with life. I had lost weight, I was eating well, I was happy. Life was good.

When I found out I was pregnant, though I was grateful to be given another precious wonder, I was a little frustrated that I was going to get fat again, get no sleep again, and that my carefully put together 1 million piece puzzle called "Life with TWO kids" was about to be broken apart again and another 500,000 pieces were about to be added to the mix.

So, what did I do, I gave up on some things . . . eating healthy for starters. And now, nearly a year later, I am in a bad bad bad habit of eating whatever I want whenever I want and most of it is sugar sugar sugar.

I also got into a bad habit of making broad long term goals with no plan, giving up, being disappointed and then making some more and giving up and being angry, etc, etc.

Thrown in the loop somewhere between having sweet baby, making a big move to a strange place, lots of excuses, no sleep, and lots more excuses, I have arrived at where I am today . . . what seems like a lifetime of unkept promises to myself and no confidence in my ability to make reachable goals or to keep them.

After a day of tears, frustration, and talking in circles with my dear and patient husband, he helped me realize something:

Since broadly said long term goals aren't working, try instead specific written short term goals.

So, here I am on the Eve of 2011 and while most people are out there making yearly goals, I am not. I making January Goals. And WHEN I accomplish that, I will make February Goals. And ya know the great part . . . for the first time in my life of making goals . . . I feel excited!

January 2011 Goal:
1) Read Jillian Michael's book that I got for Christmas: The Master Your Metabolism COOKBOOK
2) Make ONE new SNACK recipe from her book each week of January.


Prize if I complete it: My husband will buy me a food processor!