2018 Goals

In reviewing the past couple of years, I noticed that I keep setting the same goals and not getting anything accomplished. (Some of this is due to things out of my control.) I started wondering if I am doing something wrong or if these goals just aren't important to me.

So I took a long, hard look at my goals and my actions.
1. Are these goals still important to me?
My answer is yes.

2. If they are, why aren't I reaching them? Are they realistic? Is the timeline doable? Am I putting in the work it takes to get them done?
These questions were a lot harder to answer.  First I looked into the definitions of "goal" and "task". I read a lot of articles on setting and reaching your goals. My conclusion is that yes, they are realistic goals. And the timelines are good. Am I giving it my 100% effort?  I don't think so. This is where I'm falling short.

I'm breaking my goals down into smaller steps, but then monthly, weekly, daily I'm just not working hard enough. It's not a matter of "not enough time ". I have tons of time. I think I get distracted easily and waste a lot of time. Sometimes I lose motivation because I think no one cares if I reach these goals or not.  The world is not going to fall apart if I don't drink 8 glasses of water a day or if I don't journal daily or don't finish my cross stitch.

The world may not fall apart, but my spirit does.  I care if I don't reach these goals! I'm tired of coming up just a bit short.

The following quote from Ralph Marston has pushed me to expect more of myself in 2018.

"Choose wisely what you truly expect from yourself.  Because whatever you continue to expect is precisely what you will do."

I chose PROSPER as my word for 2018, because I'm expecting it to be a great year. In order to prosper, I know I need to give my best effort in everything I do. My challenge is to figure out how to do just that.

I brain stormed some possibilities.
*accountability, find a friend (not as easy as it sounds since I never leave the house)
*better time management
*take pride in a job well done
*small successes feel great, use that feeling
*participate in challenges  (again, accountability)
*make a list of things to do when I lose motivation.
*have a reward system

So with my self-evaluation done, let's look at my goals for 2018. Several of them are the same as 2017, but I EXPECT to get them done this year!

HOME 
a. Household:
☆buy a house

b. Finances:
☆pay off some of the medical bills and 2 credit cards
☆save for 2019 trip

c. Family, friends, pets:
☆have mom come for a visit
☆trip to see the kids
☆monthly date nights

HEALTH 
a. Physical:
☆lose 45 pounds
☆walk 800 miles

b. Mental: (these are more tasks than goals, but they fit into the mental health category. )
☆daily affirmations
☆meditation

c. Spiritual:
*leaving this one private

HOBBIES 
a. Cross stitch:
☆finish four seasons birds

b. Journals:
☆continue 3 year journal
☆continue bullet journal

c. Other:
☆be more active on my craft blog
☆use my Nikon more
☆read 12 new books
☆try the acrylic pour technique of painting



This has been a very long post and I'm sure you're bored to tears. Thanks for reading through it all. I'm hoping that at least a few of you can help keep me on track.  It will be fun to look back at this post this time next year and see just what I got accomplished.