Goal Setting

I have my daily list, my weekly list, my monthly list, and my yearly list. I know, it is a lot of lists; and they had better be organized!

I like to start out by definitely planning goals for the month in advance. There are certain things which have to get accomplished each month. Some are organizational meetings, household upkeep, lawn & garden maintenance, hobbies, and even homeschool related; others may be birthdays, dinners with friends, and play dates. However you look at it, all these things are your monthly goals, even the very simple or mundane.

To get started, print out a monthly calendar. Think about all the goals you want to accomplish (volunteer, plant bulbs, read a book, paint, crochet a new scarf). Make sure to write them down on the back of your calendar. All of them! Then, think about all the items you have to get done (meetings, work, maintainence, and chores). Write these down as a second list.

Now let's be realistic. You will more than likely NOT get all of these completed in the course of a month. Don't fret, there is always the next month! What you can do though, is go through you Have-To List and put those items on your calendar. Then, pick one item from your Want-To List for each week of the month and add those to your calendar.

I bet it is looking full! And if its not, and you're daring, add one or two more from the Want-To List. After you get the hang of goal setting, you can up the ante with your goals if you are comfortable.

We all have things that must be done yearly as well. Make sure you complete a yearly list - taxes, pest control, car maintenence, etc. and add each of these items to your monthly calendars as well. Sometimes, it is best to print out your entire year in advance. Put each month's calendar in a sheet protector and keep them safe in a 3-ring binder (This can also be the start of your homemaking notebook).

I hope this finds you well on your way to setting easy, but attainable goals. If you have any suggestions, please share!