Viewing entries tagged
Plans

Wishes – Goals – Action Plan

Comment

Wishes – Goals – Action Plan

Here we are, December 26, the day after Christmas. It seems to me that the next 5 days are when we hear a lot about New Year resolutions; you may be making some of your own. Many times we are not making resolutions as much as we are making wishes. We state things like, “I want to lose 20 lbs this year”, or “I want to be more organized or make better use of my time.” I think a wish is a good place to start, but an action plan is needed to achieve our wishes, breaking things down into smaller bits so we can get there. This turns a wish into a goal. I’ve got a composition book and at the top of a page I write down what I want; the next step is to create a plan of action to get there. It looks a little like this:


GOAL: Make better use of my time this year.

ACTION PLAN:

  • Use a timer and set limits so I am aware of how I am spending my time. This will also help me keep focused on the task at hand.

  • Get my clothes ready the night before, so I am ready for the next day.

  • Go to bed 5 minutes earlier each week until I reach 10:00 pm. (I have been going to bed way too late this year.)


I can adjust these at any time, but right now this is my action plan.

I have found that the weight loss plan doesn’t work for me. So instead I have decided my real wish is to be healthy. To make it a goal, I examined what healthy meant to me. I’ve heard the proclamations of, “I will not eat sugar for the 2019 year!” Nope, that will not work for me because healthy (to me) also means happy mind, body, and spirit. I like cake, cookies—and I adore chocolate— so now what? It would make me sad not being able to enjoy a cookie with my great nieces and nephew; however, I can eat fewer. I can slow down and savor what I am eating. I can also move more. I started this plan about 18 months ago and have become more aware of what I am eating. I also bought a Fitbit to help stay on track with how much I am moving. I’ve shed about 20 pounds in those 18 months. It is very slow, but I continue to progress. Slow progress is still progress!!

I have stories that I want to write this year, too. I got out a second composition book for stories. Once I set up my action plan steps, then I will chart it on my calendar with sticky notes. This way if I run into a life situation I can easily reschedule the plan.

I expect that this plan will work and I can tweak it at any time. The only cost to get started is two composition books and the time to write down my wishes, goals, and action plan.

What wishes are you turning into goals this year? Make sure you set up an action plan to get there.

Comment

All plans subject to change without notice!

Comment

All plans subject to change without notice!

what I planned.jpg

My blog has been lost. Darn it!!!

I write my blogs ahead of time. I do my best to stay ahead of the game and most weeks I can do that but not this week, and not next week. I wrote my blogs but they have gone AWOL… absent without leave. When I saw that they were gone, I gasped and then shouted to no one, "NOOOOO!!"

This… was… not… my… plan!!! My plan was to have it all in order, to write something philosophical, to inspire, to speak truth. Oh well, so much for that.

This situation does remind me, however, of a mantra that my father often stated when I was growing up, “All plans subject to change without notice.” Ain’t that the truth? It is a mantra that still rings through my home and my siblings' homes, as well. 

Let’s face it, we all make plans — then sometimes our plans work out and sometimes they just don’t. The key is to change and keep on going. It might seem like everything is falling apart, but really they might be falling into place. Change leads you down a different path, to a new opportunity, often to something bigger and better. But let's be honest, sometimes it just rots, too!! In that case, you take a breath and change again.

Stuff happens. It is what it is. Sometimes it seems the only thing constant is change. So go ahead, make a plan and set priorities — but always keep this in mind as you tackle that to-do list: All Plans Subject to Change Without Notice.

Comment