Now it’s time to get real. Setting goals and achieving them can be worlds apart from one another. It is easy to feel frustrated, get off track and ultimately give up. So, let’s check in.
For me, the primary goal for this year – build a more structured daily routine. As I mentioned last year felt like I was flying by the seat of my pants and just trying to do the best that I could. I desperately needed a reset.
First was to set boundaries on screen time. The plan was screen time would only be allowed between 9am – 9 pm. The after 9 pm plan has been adhered to fairly well (yes, I did pick up that phone and “browse” through IG or FB on a few occasions). Also, not having my face buried in my mobile or iPad we had more movie nights which was way more fulfilling. However, the before 9 am was more difficult (I’ll get more into that in a minute). Overall, I would give my efforts a B.
Second was resetting my internal clock and getting a better night’s sleep. With no screen time at night, not only did I find myself falling asleep faster the quality of my sleep seemed to improve. This allowed me to awake earlier, feeling more restful and productive in the morning. (Hence the reason that screen time prior to 9 am became a little more difficult to maintain.) A decision to change and say no screen time before 8 am during the week became the new rule. Thus, the grade for this will be a B+ with areas for improvement.
Part of building a structured routine is well, building a structured routine. A date book had been purchased and between that and the calendar on my phone I have been scheduling everything from work, appointments, running errands, exercise, chores, etc. And you know what? I somehow feel like I have more time. Now don’t get me wrong, life cannot always be something that is planned, the unexpected always happens. Yet due to the parts that I’m able to control I have felt better equipped to handle the parts I cannot.
However, with my free time I am finding myself doing projects around the house. Reading and doing Italian lessons have taken a back seat. The projects have me feeling a sense of triumph whereas the lack of the other things makes me feel a sense of idleness. Since I know what I would like to adjust and improve; I’m happy to report a grade of strong A for effort!
When I set my yearly goal, I additionally set up monthly goals. January was the shop your closet challenge. Take inventory of what you have, purge what you no longer need and do not make any new purchases. Three bags of clothes, purses and jewelry were donated. Two bags of items were thrown out. The closet is so much more organized that there were a couple of days that the door was left open to simply admire the cleanliness.
Annnnd, here is what brought down the average on the report card. Hello, my name is Carolyn, and I am a shopaholic. Yes, indeed purchases were made. In my defense your honor, there were some really great sales and well let’s admit it, moments of weakness. Therefore, the grade will unfortunately be a C. (Thankfully we weren’t operating on a pass/fail basis because it could have been worse).
Now on to February, the healthy home challenge. Clean the most touched and sometimes overlooked areas of your home. Go through the medicine cabinet and check expiration dates. Declutter storage spaces eliminating unused or unwanted items. Upside, this will be a great catalyst for March’s spring-cleaning challenge.
All in all, I’m happy to report that my goals are still being worked on. Confidence levels are high. To-do lists are long yet achievable. A pat on the back for hard work and determination. I’m sharing this in hopes that you too have had success in achieving your goals. And, if you have any feelings of giving up or already have, I encourage you to try and try again and if it still doesn’t work try one more time. Have faith in yourself. Give yourself grace. Remember growth isn’t always easy.
Carolyn Jean Style 