Goals

90-Day Goals: How they Worked for Me

90-Day Goals: How they Worked for Me

As we slowly but surely make our way through the last week of June, I can’t help but wonder how quickly 6 months of 2018 have flown by.

I’ve realized that half-time is a good time to pause, reflect, re-strategize and plow on ahead to crush some goals!

Just ask any football fan.

While I’m trying to wrestle the TV remote away from my husband during half-time, the teams are probably making the most of that 15 minute break… planning how they can score more goals in the second half and win the game.

Side note: I’m not really a football fan, but my husband and sons are… so, I’m learning more about the game than I really care to!

Well, so back to the topic…

I’ve always been a goal-setter, list-maker, checkbox-ticker… Writing down everything I want to get done gives me almost as much satisfaction as getting it all done!

I had taken a break from setting yearly goals the past 2 years since my husband was away and our life seemed to be on survival mode.

So, when 2018 dawned, I knew it was high time I got back to my goal setting ways.

I already had a running list of things I wanted to accomplish before I turned 40. So, I decided I would incorporate some of them into my yearly goals as well.

In truth, I was looking for a different method of setting goals because working on only one set of goals for a whole year can be quite boring and exhausting.

When I came across a couple of articles about setting 90-day goals here and here, I jumped at the idea.

After 2 quarters of following this plan, I’ve made more progress than I expected to.

In case you’re interested, here’s the method I followed.

1. List the different areas of life where I wanted to see progress.

For me, it was:

  • Spiritual
  • Physical
  • Intellectual
  • Relational

2. Note down specific things I wanted to accomplish in these areas over the course of the year.

Here’s what that looked like…

Spiritual:

  • Read X books of the Bible.
  • Revamp my prayer list
  • Read X non-fiction books by Christian authors.

Physical:

  • Walk/Run X Km on the treadmill.
  • Reach a particular goal weight.
  • Relearn swimming.

Intellectual:

  • Journal consistently. (I hope to publish another blog post on this soon!)
  • Read good literature to improve my vocabulary and writing skills.
  • Publish X blog posts.

Relational:

  • Go on X dates with my husband.
  • Travel to one new place as a family.
  • Visit/entertain friends and extended family.

3. Take just a few of these goals and focus on them for just 90 days.

I did not want to overwhelm myself, so I listed only 10 goals for the first 90 days. In complete honestly, I did not achieve all 10 by the end of the quarter.

But I chose to look at what I did accomplish (which was quite a bit):

  • 6 goals fully completed
  • 2 goals partially completed

The beauty of setting 90-day goals is that you can add/delete/tweak them as you see fit each quarter. You get to start afresh every 90 days, instead of waiting a whole year and feeling like you’ve failed at achieving your goals.

Out of the 11 goals I listed for the second quarter (April to June), I’ve completed just 4. But I’ve made quite a bit of progress on 4 more.

As much as I love setting goals and achieving them, I’ve also realized the importance of giving myself wiggle room and being gracious with myself.

I’m ending this month going back over my previous 90-day goals and setting new ones for the upcoming quarter.

I’ve written a lot about goals over the past 6 years. I look back and laugh at my naivety now, but I’m thankful for the lessons I’ve learnt through the years.

If you want to laugh along, you should check out these posts from my archives.

Is goal-setting something you’re interested in? How do you do it?

Photo Credit: freestocks.org on Unsplash

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My 2014 Goals: Quarterly Update 1

My Annual Goals: 2014

You know how these big companies have quarterly audits to gauge how they are doing? I’ve found that to be a very healthy practice, not just in the corporate world, but even for ourselves. Back in January, I set a bunch of goals I wanted to achieve in 2014 – actually 10 goals, to be exact.

Well, here’s my first quarterly audit on those goals. I share them here for accountability, and hopefully to motivate you too to set goals and achieve them.

Spiritual:

1. Complete 4 Bible studies with Good Morning Girls{Completed the Intentionally Focused study, and I’ve started with the Easter study.}

2. Read through the books of Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges & Ruth. {I’m done with Leviticus and Numbers; just started with Deuteronomy.}

Intellectual:

3. Read at least 12 full-length, non-fiction books – ideally one each month. {I read The Wall Around Your Heart and Help for Women Under Stress. I also read The Pursuit of God (free download) which is a smaller book, and a couple of historical Bible-based fiction books.}

4. Complete the Titus 2 University eCourse. {I’ve completed just 5 weeks of this course… need to pick up the pace on this one.}

Physical:

5. Walk a 3 Km stretch by the end of the year. {I’ve been fairly regular with walking, but the maximum distance I’ve walked is only 2.2 Km.}

Marriage:

6. Go out on 4 dates with my husband. {Umm… I’m guessing the late night movie we watched together doesn’t count. What can I say? We haven’t been out on a date yet this year.}

Parenting:

7. Teach the kids 12 verses – one each month. {They’ve memorized 3 verses so far.}

8. Teach the kids 12 family ways – one each month. {Only 2 done till now.}

Home Management:

9. Follow the Confident Mom home management planner. {This went well for the first 2 months and then it slipped away.}

Writing:

10. Write 120 blog posts this year. {I’ve written 29 blog posts so far, not including this one.}

I realize I need to pick up the pace in a few areas, and maintain the pace in others. Hopefully the next quarter’s update will be more promising!

Have you set any goals for this year?
How has your progress been?

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My Annual Goals: 2014

My Annual Goals: 2014

So after a gap of 6 months, and a big debate about the importance of goals versus growth, I set a bunch of goals for myself this year.

My approach toward goal-setting was different this year. You might have heard of S.M.A.R.T. goals… well, here are what I call, G.O.A.L.S. goals :).

I’ve set goals that are:

  • Growth-oriented: They will help me grow in different areas of my life.
  • Ordered: I’ve noted down my main priorities and set goals corresponding to each.
  • Achievable: Seriously! After not reaching many of my previous goals, I’ve made sure these are attainable.
  • Life-friendly: Because life happens… you know?!
  • Simple: I’ve tried not to over-complicate my goals, because I tend to do that sometimes a lot.

Not that anyone is interested in reading about it… but I’m sharing my goals here as an extra level of accountability.

Spiritual:

1. Complete 4 Bible studies with Good Morning Girls.
2. Read through the books of Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges & Ruth.

Intellectual:

3. Read at least 12 full-length, non-fiction books – ideally one each month.
4. Complete the Titus 2 University eCourse.

Physical:

5. Walk a 3 Km stretch by the end of the year.

Marriage:

6. Go out on 4 dates with my husband.

Parenting:

7. Teach the kids 12 verses – one each month.
8. Teach the kids 12 family ways – one each month.

Home Management:

9. Follow the Confident Mom home management planner.

Writing:

10. Write 120 blog posts this year.

That’s it! Just 10 goals… and I’ve broken them into bite-sized pieces for each month. I’ll {hopefully} post an update on my goals at the end of each quarter this year.

Have you set any goals for the new year?
What strategy did you follow?

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Goals Versus Growth {Part 3}

Goals Versus Growth

Earlier on the blog, I wrote about how we need to be more growth-oriented than goal-oriented, and the importance of growth through a parable from the Bible.

Since then, I’ve done a lot of reading about goals and growth, and a lot more pondering. This article on Buffer made me question why I set goals in the first place.

I was initially inspired to set goals by Money Saving Mom. She sets weekly goals and shares them on her blog. I decided to try it out and found that setting monthly goals and sharing them on the blog actually helped me be more intentional with things I wanted to do.

And then, I went through a phase where I couldn’t reach more than a couple of my monthly goals. I began stressing out over the goals I had to reach, and kept pushing myself until I burnt out. Rather than shamefacedly admit that I hadn’t met my goals for yet another month, I stopped setting monthly goals altogether!

And then I read this on Peak 313’s Facebook page:

If you find yourself discouraged, or in a stand still, may I ask you–are you goal or growth focused? Have you realized that God may just want to teach you something during the PROCESS as opposed to just hitting the end?

I tried to convince myself that growth and not goals was the answer. And then I saw this image on Money Saving Mom’s Facebook page.

Yeah… that makes a lot of sense! Goals are good, growth is better… Growth-focused goals are the best!

So where does that leave me with goal setting? I set goals that focus on the growth process.

For example:

  • Learning something from my Bible study, rather than simply completing it on time.
  • Encouraging the kids to read, rather than just reading to them (even if we read only one page a day).
  • Enjoying a book I’m reading, rather than trying to cram as books as I can into my week.

In a quest to stop rushing and achieving, I’ve decided to slow down and enjoy the ride. For now, I set simple goals such as:

  • Teach the kids one new thing
  • Read one chapter of the book I’m currently reading
  • Write one blog post

Some days, the only goal I aim for is striking a few things off my to-do list. Sometime in the future I might aim to walk 20Km or read a dozen books in a month. But now is not that time. And I’m learning to be OK with that.

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Growth Versus Goals {Part 2}

Growth Versus Goals {Part 2}

Earlier on the blog, I wrote about how we need to be more growth-oriented than goal-oriented.  Today’s post is about the importance of growth and a lesson I learnt from the Bible.

During my Good Morning Girls study, I came across the parable of the minas in Luke 19.  In this parable, ten servants were given a mina each and asked to engage in business until their master returned.  On his return, the nobleman obviously wanted to know what each servant had gained by doing business.  Well, one servant made 10 more minas and another 5, but there was one servant who showed no increase because he did no business!

The first two servants were commended and rewarded for their growth, while the third servant did nothing and was chided.  The first two servants put their minas to good use and showed a profit/increase.  The third did not!

This made me think of the gifts, abilities, talents and skills God has given me.  Am I using my gifts?  Am I improving my skills?

Use your Gifts

What gifts do you possess that you know are God-given?  Have you put them to good use?  For example, if you have the gift of intercession, have you prayed for someone in need lately?

Improve your Skills

What skills has God given you that you need to improve on?  Let’s say you’re good at writing… what can you do to improve it?  Can you read more articles about the art of writing, brush up on your grammar or practice writing a little something everyday?

Don’t be Afraid

The third servant was afraid and therefore, didn’t put his mina to use.  Perhaps he thought if he invested it, there was the risk of losing his investment altogether.  But the truth is that he should have obeyed his master who specifically said, “Engage in business.”

What has God told you to do that you’ve been dodging?  What is hindering you?  Is it fear?  I love how Jon Acuff says “Punch fear in the face!

The fact remains that if God has asked you to do something, He will also give you the means to do it.  There is no need to fear when God is near!

Until He Returns

The servants who were diligent when the master was away were rewarded when he returned.  We have a King in heaven who will be returning to rule one day.  Are we diligently engaging in business until He returns?  Do the activities we engage in build us up or wear us down?

We all have a purpose in life.  And if we are not moving towards it, we are not growing.  If we don’t utilize our gifts and skills to accomplish our life purpose, why exactly did God give them to us in the first place?  When God returns, will we be able to show a good return for His investment in our lives?

Take a few minutes today to think about the gifts and abilities you’ve been blessed with.  Pray about how you can put your gifts to good use and improve your skills, and then go do it!

I still have a bit more to share.  I’ll wind up this impromptu series next week!

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Goals Versus Growth {Part 1}

Goals Versus Growth {Part 1}

I came across the following image on Peak313’s Facebook page a few months back.

This page from John C. Maxwell’s book basically drives the point that we need to place a higher priority on growth rather than goals.

I am a huge fan of goals.  In fact, for a year and a half I set monthly goals and spent my days working to achieve them!  But over the past few months I’ve let that habit slide.

If you look at the last set of goals I made in June this year, I did strike out a few of them – my Bible studies, purging the kids’ clothes, walking, and my reading.  But a few of them still remain undone {It’s been 4 months and I’m still plodding my way through the book of Exodus!}.

One area I feel badly about is this blog.  I used to have a weekly blogging goal that looked something like this:

Monday – Counting my Blessings post
Tuesday/Wednesday – A good content post
Thursday – Top 3 Thursday post
Friday – 5 Minute Friday post

I haven’t followed that schedule in at least 6 months!  I don’t think I’ve ever been this inconsistent since I started blogging.  I have about 30 blog posts in the draft stage, but I simply lack the time and mental clarity required to edit and publish them.

Some of my old goals don’t make a lot of sense anymore.

I love this quote from Holley Gerth’s ebook, “Do What You Can” Plan:

“What’s necessary is realizing that goals aren’t ultimatums; they are simply directions. We are in charge of them— they’re not in charge of us. Goals can be changed, adjusted, or dismissed any time we’d like or as soon as God shows us that it’s time for a switch.”

So, I’m learning that it’s okay to not meet my own goals sometimes.  Seasons change, life happens…  It’s okay to discard old goals, make new ones, or not set goals at all for a while.

True, goals are important in life… but growth matters more.  We need to grow, mature, improve in all aspects of life.  We cannot let the inability to meet our goals hinder our personal growth.  We cannot afford to become stagnant.

I have a bit more to share on the topic of growth, but duty calls :).  I’ll post the rest in another post {hopefully} next week.

I encourage you to think about this today:

Are you goal conscious or growth conscious?  In what areas of your life do you need to grow?

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Monthly Goals: June

At the beginning of each month, I share my goals for the month ahead and track my progress on the previous month’s goals.  I skipped setting goals for the month of May because (a) I hadn’t completed April’s goals, and (b) I wanted to take it easy during the kids’ summer vacation.

Well, the kids are back in school today, and I’m back to being more intentional with setting and accomplishing my goals.  Here’s my progress over the past two months.

My goals for April (and May) were:

  1. Stay up to date with the Good Morning Girls and Hello Mornings Bible studies. — Done {I completed both the studies and started new ones}
  2. Read through the book of Revelation. — Done {Finished Genesis also in May}
  3. Read PrayerA Hunger for GodIntentional ParentingUnplug Your Mind and ReCharge Your SoulThin In 30 Minutes (a book on walking). — Done {I also read Clean Enough and 101 Time-Saving Tips for Busy Moms}
  4. Teach the kids 2 new verses. — Done {They learnt 4 verses over the past 2 months}
  5. Read at least 12 books to the kids. — Done
  6. Backup photos. — Done
  7. Participate in the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge at Money Saving Mom. — Incomplete {I didn’t complete the challenge, but did get the entire house deep cleaned after it was painted last month}
  8. Walk at least 8 Km this month. — Not Done {No excuses for this one :(}

My goals for June are:

  1. Stay up to date with the Good Morning Girls and Hello Mornings Bible studies.
  2. Read through the book of Exodus.
  3. Read Anything, The Passionate Mom and Surprisingly… Unstuck.
  4. Teach the kids 2 new verses.
  5. Read at least 12 books to the kids.
  6. Purge and organize the kids’ clothes.
  7. Walk at least 4Km this month.

Are you in the habit of setting weekly/monthly goals?  If you do, how did you do last month?  If you don’t, how do you keep track of things you need to get done?

If you like what you’ve read and you don’t want to miss a future post, you can sign up to receive new blog posts by email, or in a reader.

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Monthly Goals: April

At the beginning of each month, I share my goals for the month ahead and track my progress on the previous month’s goals.

My goals for March were:

  1. Complete the current Good Morning Girls study and begin a new study on March 25th. — Done
  2. Stay up to date with the Hello Mornings Bible study. — Done
  3. Read through the books of II Peter, I John, II John and III John. — Done
  4. Read Draw the CirclePrayer42 Days to FitThe Present PrincipleA Hunger for God. — In Progress {I’m halfway through “Prayer” and “A Hunger for God”, but I finished the other three}
  5. Teach the kids 2 new verses. — Incomplete {We’re halfway through the second verse}
  6. Read at least 12 books to the kids. — Incomplete {We read only 10 books last month}
  7. Organize and backup photos. — Incomplete {I organized the photos and videos into appropriate folders; I still haven’t taken a backup though!}
  8. Purge and organize 2 wardrobe shelves. — Not Done {I didn’t even get started on this :(}
  9. Walk/Run at least 8 Km this month. — Incomplete {I walked only 4 Km last month… or 6 if you consider the 2 Km I speed-walked, searching the neighborhood for a lost wallet!}

Apparently, I didn’t do all that well on my goals in March. Well, it happens – all part of living an imperfect life :). I’m hoping to get back on track in April, but I’m not going to beat myself up if I don’t either ;)!

My goals for April are:

  1. Stay up to date with the Good Morning Girls and Hello Mornings Bible studies.
  2. Read through the book of Revelation.
  3. Read PrayerA Hunger for God, Intentional ParentingUnplug Your Mind and ReCharge Your SoulThin In 30 Minutes (a book on walking).
  4. Teach the kids 2 new verses.
  5. Read at least 12 books to the kids.
  6. Backup photos.
  7. Participate in the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge at Money Saving Mom.
  8. Walk at least 8 Km this month.

Are you in the habit of setting weekly/monthly goals? If you do, how did you do last month? If you don’t, how do you keep track of things you need to get done?

If you like what you’ve read and you don’t want to miss a future post, you can sign up to receive new blog posts by email, or in a reader.

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Monthly Goals: March

At the beginning of each month, I share my goals for the month ahead and track my progress on the previous month’s goals.

My goals for February were:

  1. Stay up to date with the Bible studies at Good Morning Girls & Hello Mornings. — Done
  2. Read through the books of Titus, Philemon, Hebrew in the Bible. — Done
  3. Read Organized SimplicityI Can Teach My Child to Read & Hope for the Weary Mom. — Done
  4. Teach the kids 2 new verses. — Done
  5. Read at least 12 books to the kids. — Done
  6. Organize and backup photos. — Not Done {I didn’t even get started on this!}
  7. Walk/Run at least 8 Km this month. — Incomplete {I walked only 3 Km last month}

My goals for March are:

  1. Complete the current Good Morning Girls study and begin a new study on March 25th.
  2. Stay up to date with the Hello Mornings Bible study.
  3. Read through the books of II Peter, I John, II John and III John.
  4. Read Draw the CirclePrayer42 Days to FitThe Present Principle, A Hunger for God.
  5. Teach the kids 2 new verses.
  6. Read at least 12 books to the kids.
  7. Organize and backup photos. {I’m going to get this done this week, so I’m not tempted to procrastinate again.}
  8. Purge and organize 2 wardrobe shelves.
  9. Walk/Run at least 8 Km this month.

Are you in the habit of setting weekly/monthly goals? If you do, how did you do last month? If you don’t, how do you keep track of things you need to get done?

If you like what you’ve read and you don’t want to miss a future post, you can sign up to receive new blog posts by email, or in a reader.

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Monthly Goals: February

At the beginning of each month, I share my goals for the month ahead and track my progress on the previous month’s goals.

My goals for January were:

  1. Begin new Bible studies with Good Morning Girls & Hello Mornings. — Done
  2. Read through the books of Thessalonians & Timothy in the Bible. — Done
  3. Read DesperateReach & The “Do What You Can” Plan. — Done
  4. Revise Psalm 23, Psalm 121, John 3:16 & the Lord’s Prayer with the kids. — Done
  5. Read at least 12 books to the kids. — Done
  6. Memorize Psalm 139:17-24. — Incomplete {This is one goal I have not succeeded at. Going forward, I plan to memorize fewer verses each month. These will include the verses posted by Good Morning Girls each week and the ones I’m teaching my kids.}
  7. Develop an action plan to persevere in prayer, fitness & home organization. — Done

My goals for February are:

  1. Stay up to date with the Bible studies at Good Morning Girls & Hello Mornings.
  2. Read through the books of Titus, Philemon, Hebrew in the Bible.
  3. Read Organized Simplicity, I Can Teach My Child to Read & Hope for the Weary Mom.
  4. Teach the kids 2 new verses.
  5. Read at least 12 books to the kids.
  6. Organize and backup photos.
  7. Walk/Run at least 8 Km this month.

Are you in the habit of setting weekly/monthly goals? If you do, how did you do last month? If you don’t, how do you keep track of things you need to get done?

If you like what you’ve read and you don’t want to miss a future post, you can sign up to receive new blog posts by email, or in a reader.

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