Since 2017, I've been setting myself quarterly goals. I've made some serious improvements in my life and created good habits because of these goals, but I'm starting to see them as pretty rigid, so I'm this year I'm trying to be more flexible - I'm going to have four areas of goal-setting and three goals within each, but I'm going to leave one or two of the goals flexible for me to decide for that particular quarter, as opposed to deciding now, in January, what my October goal should be! The numbers with * to them will be changing quarterly.
Area One: Health - I was pretty successful at my health goals last year and I'd like to maintain that momentum.
1) I'd like to keep my goals of working out at least five times a week for 30 minutes or more from 2021. I'd like at least two of those to be yoga and the other three can be whatever suits me. This first bullet will be for the same for the entire year unless I decide to change the numbers for some reason.
*2) For the first quarter, I need to go to the doctor to deal with the back pain that I've been suffering from since September and then actually do something about said pain.
*3) For the first quarter, I have to drink at least sixteen ounces of water every day. I drink a lot of liquid, but it's usually in the form of tea or Gatorade Zero and I'm desperate to decrease our grocery bills, so water is part of my solution.
Area Two: Professional - It goes without saying that I need a lot of help here.
*1) Apply to a new job at least once a week until I have a new job. Hopefully this will only be on the goal list for the first quarter, but if my job search continues to be unsuccessful, it might stay on the list longer.
2) Respond to emails for my volunteer gig in a timely manner. I am in a relatively important role, but sometimes I don't have the headspace for it. I need to prioritize this.
*3) Likewise, I'm in charge of the programming committee at my volunteer gig and I need to really solidify the programming calendar for 2022 in the first quarter.
Area Three: Communication - I'm inherently a reserved person, so I'm going to try to keep up some of my habits from last year.
1) Continue to post in my blog at least twice a week.
2) Continue to write a note to K/D/M once a month.
3) Keep lists of snail mail I send and books I read.
Area Four: Post-Pandemic Re-Entry - I'm including this area over financial goals because I realized that I need to prioritize my mental health. I'll probably do occasional updates on budgeting/expenses, but I really need to start thinking about what it's going to be like whenever I leave my house. I mean, someday I'm going to have to leave my house, right? I realize that I've become almost agoraphobic and the idea of travel outside of a six block radius of my house sort of skeeves me out. I don't know if I can continue to live like that.
1) Visit a new park/nature preserve/outdoor space at least once a quarter.
*2) Make plans in Q1 to visit my mom in Q2.
*3) Buy more KN95 masks.
Miscellaneous
*1) For heaven's sake, figure out how to put more money in my investment accounts.
*2) Just brush the dog and cat's teeth. How hard is it? (Apparently very hard for me.)
*3) Try to figure out a budget for big things like groceries, savings, pet care, and things that aren't regular expenses, but come up regularly like birthday and holiday presents.
UPDATE:
*4) After reading Stephany's post in mid-January, I have decided that I will donate $25 a month to a charity of my choice each month. This seems doable.
I love the idea of quarterly goals. It's hard for me to envision what my life will be like in October (as you said) so I was thinking of setting monthly goals. But I like this idea- maybe I'll go quarter by quarter.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, good luck with your goals- you've got some big ones here. Post-pandemic re-entry is important! My sister is also struggling with this. There was no way for me to do my job remote, so after an eight-week shutdown (in March-April of 2020) I was back at work. It felt scary at the time, but I think it helped me to carry on a normal schedule. I can see how it would be hard to get back out there after pretty much staying home for almost two years. You are not alone! You can do it.
These sound like excellent goals. And I am with you on the needing to figure out a way to be in the world more. I have made some small steps back into pre-pandemic social life and it has been HARD, so I need to be more intentional about it.
ReplyDeleteI think the idea of quarterly goals is genius.
ReplyDeleteIf brushing pet teeth is anything like brushing human children's teeth - it is just one of the worst tasks. It's not hard, not that unpleasant...but I absolutely hate doing it? No idea why. I know other people that dislike cutting children's fingernails and I don't mind that at all. But teeth brushing. Sigh. I mostly leave this to the kids (with lots of reminders), but really I should be helping at least the 7-year-old far more frequently. I bought them electric toothbrushes to ease my guilt over this...but, ugh. No matter how much I try to force myself to step it up in this area, I fail over and over again. I guess the difference being my children DO brush their teeth (not likely to a high enough standard) each day, where with pets...if you don't brush them, without opposable thumbs, they are unlikely to start grabbing the Colgate and getting down to business without your input.
I will give you a pass on brushing the dog & cat's teeth...it really does sound hard. For the job thing, you know I was there last year and I feel you. I "only" applied to a few hundred jobs but I got there!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of coming up with quarterly goals. Thinking about goals for the year is always a bit overwhelming, so I usually have resorted to making a loose list of things I'd like to do, but maybe I should set it a little bit more specifically for a shorter period of time. I like your approach.
ReplyDeleteBrushing the dog's teeth is HARD. I should do it. I don't do it. I like your goals - achievable and smart!
ReplyDeleteI've never brushed my cats' teeth. I think I could maybe train Ellie to let me, but there's no way Lila would. I'll probably have to get their teeth professionally cleaned within the next year or so, so I've been socking away money for that.
ReplyDeleteWhat KN95 masks do you have? I'm on the hunt for some, now that the CDC says cloth masks aren't useful anymore. I've been researching, but there are so many options! I'm a little overwhelmed.
I think we'd risk losing a finger if we tried to brush our cat's teeth! So it's great that yours lets you do that. Our cat is very 'spirited'. I mean she has a note in her file at the vet for how, um, spirited she can be... :/
ReplyDeleteThis is a good set of goals and makes sense to let yourself set things every quarter so you can adjust to what is going on in your life. I hope that you find a new job very soon. Being in a soul-sucking job that you hate is AWFUL. I have been there and I really sympathize with you.
I love goals posts!!! I'm still trying to find time to finalize mine, and it's stressing me out a tiny bit that it's January 6th and they aren't done...but oh well. I'm thinking maybe this weekend I'll sit down and try to finish them. (P.S. You live in WI? Me too! Whereabouts are you? You don't need to answer that publicly, unless you want to!)
ReplyDeleteYou are in my brain. I'm stealing your pandemic re-entry goal. I am in the exact same place. Exactly. Classes start next week and I will be teaching 4.5 hours every Wednesday, split into a 3 hour discussion heavy course in the am, and a 1.5 hour course late in the afternoon that involves undergraduates, discussion, and activities.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to be a limp dishrag by the time it's all said and done. Not to mention I also have to brave the bus (again) and hang out in the building all day. I've been hibernating at home so long I don't remember what it's like to be at the office all day. That's ... sad.
Also? If a) we knew each other, b) we lived closer to each other, and c) it wouldn't be weird and stalker-y, I'd ask to meet up with you for your quarterly visits to parks, nature preserves, etc. This is a goal of mine this year, too! I've set a slightly broader one of "do something fun one weekend a month", and this is one way I want to have fun. I talk a good game about wanting to explore this state, and this region, but I stink at the follow through.
Finally, there is just something super-weird about brushing another being's teeth, whether animal or human. Good luck with that. :)