My Goal Board
Unfortunately for you guys, handwriting has never been a goal of mine lol. So, I apologize for that, but this is my goal board.
New Years is a very important time for some people. It is a time to reflect on the previous year and look at what you have learned. You may ask yourself, What do I want to take with me in the new year? What would I prefer to leave in the previous year? What goals do I have for myself? And lastly, how do I make sure I follow through with my resolutions? This past New Year's I made a goal board, and in this article, I want to talk about each of these questions.
OK, let's be honest; most people do not follow through with their New Year’s resolutions. I believe that the reason is that they do not make a plan. For example, if you work out once a week and you want to start working out three times a week, you need a plan to do so. You are not going to just magically start working out three times a week.
The first step is to think about your year. How was it, and be honest? What parts were good and what parts were bad? Or you could just reflect on the past week. Once you’ve thought of the good and the bad, think of how you can bring the good to the new year and leave the bad behind. For this to happen, you need a plan or a list of steps.
This is why I decided to make a goal board. When you make a goal board, you write down your resolution, how you are going to complete the resolution, and your goals for your resolution. Try to be as specific as possible because the more specific you are, the more likely it is that you will follow through to the best of your ability.
For example, one of my resolutions is to meditate every day for at least five minutes. My plan to do so is to use a meditation podcast and to do it every night around the same time. My goals for meditation are to remember to meditate and to use this as a way to calm down and forget about all of the stress in my life.
Another reason I think people do not follow through with their resolutions is because they forget about them. Life is crazy and super hectic, and we’re human, so we forget! If you make a goal board, you can put it in your kitchen or bedroom--a place you will always see it and never forget. Then, you will have a subtle reminder of your goals for the year.
If you truly want to go through with New Year’s resolutions, then you actually have to take the time to think about them. I had eight resolutions but maybe you will have five or ten. I suggest aiming for at least three resolutions because they can be simple. Resolutions are just things you want to incorporate into your life.
Update: Today is January 20, 2020. Life is going great. I have been following through with my resolutions and it has definitely made me happier. I have been trying to focus on my resolution that says, “Turn every negative situation into a positive lesson.” This resolution has really helped me become a better person. I am already a very positive person, but this has helped increase my positivity to a level that I never knew existed.
“Everything happens for a reason.” This has helped me immensely by reminding me that I will be OK, it’s just a bump in the road! Challenges are what help us grow and learn, so we need them. Keep this in mind even when you think the whole world is against you, and nothing will ever go back to normal. Just wait... breathe... soak in the hard times. Yes, soak them in and gain an understanding of how to change what is happening. But, whatever you do, don’t freak out because this is just life. We have tons of obstacles that we have to overcome.
Well, the moral of the story is, this goal board is really helping me follow through with my goals and resolutions. I highly recommend it, and suggest actually put time into it. Don’t just brush it off. If you are going to make a goal board, then put all your effort into thinking of what you need to improve upon.
Many months later: 2020 has already been a crazy hectic year. We are currently in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, and it’s hard to stay positive, but we have to. Having my resolutions on a goal board has definitely held me more accountable. I have improved significantly on every one of my resolutions and it makes me so happy to see the progress in myself. My goals have helped me stay on track for what I wanted to accomplish, and I am a much happier version of myself!
Note: Every day is a new day! You can make goals and start on your plans any day. It doesn’t have to be on a holiday, it doesn’t have to be on a Monday, it can be whenever you want.
Ellavate takeaway: I think the most important takeaway is that if you write things down, you are more likely to do them. Having things in writing also helps you reflect on how you are doing with your goals and to identify what's working and what isn’t.
One last reflection of all my goals:
Workout: I have exceeded my expectations and I am so happy with how much I have been working out. I really used quarantine as a time to straighten myself out, so I was working out six or seven times a week, multiple times a day. (In no way am I saying to do this, I just wanted to because I love moving my body!) With school starting, I was worried my working out would decrease too much, but I have kept up with it. I have also put a focus on working out when I want to and not forcing myself too much unless I know I need to.
Meditate: I have been doing great with meditating 15 minutes every school day and I notice I am so much calmer throughout the day.
Eat healthy: I also feel like I have been doing really great with this and making sure my eating habits are balanced. What I mean by that is not eating too healthy but not too much junk food.
Set weekly and monthly challenges: I did this a lot in quarantine and I am continuing to find little goals that I want to complete (stay tuned...).
Turning negative situations into positive lessons: I have been trying my best on this one, but during quarantine I could decide what I wanted to do and when, so now that school has started, I need to focus on this a lot more.
Relax and enjoy life: I have made relaxing something I want to focus on because I know I can be very hard on myself. Whenever I have free time, I tend to think that there must be something I need to do... right? I have learned that this is not true, and I need to give myself a break! I have also learned that the way I have fun may not be the way most other people have fun, and that is perfectly OK! After I accepted this fact, I was able to have so much more fun in life and do the things I want to do.
Lower expectations and be proud of the work I put in: I still need work on this one because I know that as long as you work hard that is really all that matters. But sometimes it’s hard for me to translate that to a real-life situation.
Blog: I can’t believe it; my blog has already been up for over a month! I am so excited with how the blog has turned out; it is exactly what I want it to be. This blog and the corresponding Instagram are a direct reflection of who I am, and I love that.