Goals, with Gratitude

♫ Listening to right now:

Without stopping to be grateful about what’s in front of us, the here and the now, I think our goals can be anxiety-inducing. Thoughts of the future: we all have them. They can be fleeting ideas more than goals, or can last until they are fulfilled. Either way, our brains are filled up with tunnel visions. I get it so badly. When I want something-I need it, like yesterday. The truth is: the grass is actually greener where you water it. I’m not sure if we can have that much success with our goals without having the gratitude, too. What happens when we succeed- will we focus right away on the next big thing or pat ourselves on the back, take a little rest, and sit with the moment?I have been learning to balance the two much better. Check out my previous post Balance, baby!

At the beginning of every week, I write down my weekly goals in my little dinosaur composition notebook that sits right by my bed.

If I don’t do a certain goal, but do another that is equally as great just in a different way, I cross out the other goal and write whatever I did instead next to it. This tends to have the effect of, “okay, I see I did not make it to the gym this week, but I did go to yoga. Yay me!”

With working hard on my blog lately, I have added another section of blog goals to my weekly goals.

I noticed a dramatic change when I started doing this: I felt more excited about my week despite having a week full of work ahead of me and I felt better about myself for all the goals I saw that I was accomplishing as well as my willingness to forgive myself for not getting everything done, but other things done.

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Weekly Goals: (I’m late on this post- it’s already wednesday! Haha.)

• Finish my book. I vowed New Year’s 2015 to finish one book per month….this will only be the second I have finished this year. But it’s okay, guys! This is the first book I have really loved in awhile. It’s called “The girl who chased the moon” by Sarah Addison Allen and it’s ohh so good.
• Get back into my healthier habits– this means less wine (wahhh) and more workout. Not only this, but getting back into meditating a few times a week. (I already started this goal, as it’s wednesday already,- went to the gym for the first time in months last night. )
• See friends- Being an introverted type of person who sincerely enjoys time alone to focus on my own hobbies and myself, I actually do have to put this as a goal for every week. I have definitely gotten much healthier at balancing my introverted ways with still making time for friends.
• Take pictures for Adventures of the Abandons Part 2 post-(check this out if you don’t know what I mean-Adventure of Abandons part 1)This is another thing I use my dinosaur book for. When I pass something I want to photograph with my good camera and not just my phone, I write it down to remember for later. Then i plan a time to take the camera and do so- i usually pack the pup and camera in the car and it ends up to be quite an adventure.

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Gratitude…

Write it down. Everything. The barista finally remembered your name and spelled it right on your cup. Someone said good morning to you that you didn’t know- you made someone else’s day and they told you so. In my experience, the more you look at your glass half full- the more the universe fills it up.

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Planning!

In my previous post, Mental Health Monthly Favorites, I talked about liking my routines. Planning out my week has become one of these helpful little tidbits for me. I have wanted this kind of planner for awhile- and decided to get it since the year is ending and so was my planner. These planners are built to be decorated, loved, and filled with the wonders of our lives. I bought mine at Michaels, but I found it on amazon too: The Happy Planner!

Planning out my week helps me be more organized and look forward to what’s upcoming, as well as focus on my goals!- Also, stickers always make everything more exciting and spice it up, right?

Well, I know where my money will go now. Sigh. But also, yay!

I went to show this to my mom today and she said, “You have always loved stickers!”

Yes, mama. You know it.

I am using this for work, every day life, and my blog now.

Do you all have a method of feeling good about your goals and your gratitude?

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