Be real with me. Are there things you tell yourself you’re going to start doing at the beginning of the week and then all of a sudden, it’s the following weekend, and you didn’t stick to anything you had hoped? I get it. We’ve all been there. It’s easy to get lost into the shuffle and fall back into the patterns that we’re used to. Making changes can be hard. This used to be my experience on the reg until I became more proactive and intentional about the things I wanted to implement in my life. I started setting weekly goals.
Life is busy. Change is hard, especially during summer months where routine is no longer the norm. Our social lives are flourishing, and the options are endless. There are more opportunities to spend with family, friends, travel, and be outside than any other time of year. So exciting and fun! This time of year can also be super challenging to work on yourself or see some progress you’ve been longing to make.
Almost a year ago I started writing down my weekly goals, and I saw a huge shift.
Here’s what this looks like for me: Every Sunday (or Monday morning) I sit down with my journal. I list out the things that I am working towards implementing in my day to day. Some of the things on my list are pretty constant while others change as the weeks go by. They often shift based on what I’m struggling with or if I’m looking to create more awareness around something specific.
Some examples:
My staples: Waking up at the time I planned, exercise/yoga, meditation, working on my coaching or therapy business
Some things that have come & gone (& sometimes return): Self care practice, good food choices, 7+ hours sleep, AM routine, PM routine, consistent energy, write down 3-5 accomplishments, do something kind for someone else, no phone in the morning
In my journal, I pick a handful of these that feel most relevant to me that week. For example, if I notice that my energy feels inconsistent or that I’m not making the best food choices for me, maybe that week I’ll add in “good food choices” just to notice how many days I feel good about what I’m eating. Not only does it help me to see consistency at the end of a week, it’s also a good reminder each day of what is most important to me right now and why.
When I jot these down in my journal, I create a chart. I list each intention to the left, the days of the week on the top and as the week goes by and I check in each night. I simply put a dot next to the ones I fulfilled that day.
At the end of the week I can take a look back and see my progress. The MAJOR key here is I don’t beat myself up if I didn’t reach every goal, every single day. I’m human and imperfect. The goal here is progress, never perfection.
Test it out! Does setting goals to come back to each night help you move towards them faster or more efficiently? What are some of the things you’ve told yourself over and over again you’d start doing but just can’t seem to remember in the moment?
I’d love to hear how this works for you! Shoot me a note here and let me know how it goes!
