Tweaking Goals to Make them Work
If your goals haven’t been working then you can and should CHANGE them. Being willing to adapt is a huge part of seeing your goals through. There is no way you can perfectly plan and anticipate how your goals will feel in your real life until you give them a try, so it makes sense that after a month or so you might want to make some tweaks so that they fit in your life a little better.
In this post I’ll share how my own goals have evolved this quarter in hopes that it would help you think through tweaking your own goals. I included links to things that have been inspiring me lately, these aren’t sponsored they’re just things I like :)
What my goals looked like at the beginning of January:
Habit: Re-establish the habit of reading the Bible and praying (after our fourth baby, Dottie was born in June a lot of my habits got thrown off, getting in the word regularly was one of them.)
Rhythm: Do an hour long yoga video three times a week.
Aside from dancing to 90’s hip-hop (which I need to do more of!) yoga is my favorite form of exercise. Honestly if I don’t enjoy the exercise I’m doing then I just won’t do it (sorry jogging) going with something fun was a must as I get myself back on the exercise wagon.
I’ve had pretty bad back pain ever since Dottie was born (no core + lifting small children constantly + breastfeeding = back pain) I thought strengthening my core through yoga would help with that and I just feel better emotionally and sleep more soundly when I’m getting regular exercise.
Also,I like that yoga is something I can do from home (so it takes less time), it’s free (no gym membership), I can do it no matter the weather (even if it’s cold and rainy).
Project: Start a podcast
I’ve been wanting to do this for about a year now but have just felt scared to give it shot. Something about podcasting feels embarrassing- what if my voice sounds weird?? What if people think I’m being arrogant? Why would anyone want to listen to what I’m saying?
It also seems exciting- I would love to do the research and plan the episodes each week. It could be really fun. It could even have the potential to be helpful for people.
In the end excitement trumped embarrassment (there is still a good amount of both feelings mixed in) and I decided to go for it.
What my goals look like now:
Habit: My habit has been going really well! Picking up an old habit is apparently WAY easier than starting one from scratch. My hope is to read the whole Bible this year. I’ve been reading roughly 3-4 Chapters a day 6 days a week. So far I’ve read through Genesis and Job and am in the middle of Exodus. I’m following this 90-day reading plan (I’m just using the free plan, but I’ve heard good things about the book) only at a slower pace (obviously) that I think is a better fit for me right now. I like it because it is in chronological order which has been cool.
For this season of Lent I’m taking a break from the reading plan because our church is reading through the book of Mark. One of our pastors created a podcast called Sound and Season to go along with the readings each day and it has been great so far (you can find it on itunes) if you’re looking for a simple way to celebrate this lenten season.
Rhythm: My rhythm was to do an hour long yoga video in the afternoon three times a week was a total bust. I only did it twice in three weeks.
Here’s where I went wrong and a few changes I made:
Problem #1. Doing it in the afternoon. For me this is my slumpy-est time of day. I want to sit around, not do downward dog. I’m also low on will-power this time of day.
Tweak #1. I moved my rhythm to the morning when I have more energy.
Problem #2. Doing it three times a week. I kept telling myself I’d do it tomorrow not today.
Tweak #2. For me, always is easier than sometimes. I decided to change this yoga goal from a rhythm to a habit, so instead of three times a week I would try to do it 6 times a week.
Wait a minute you’re doing TWO habits?! I know, I know I’m breaking my own rules by having two habits but the thing is like I mentioned before my reading the Bible habit came back so easily it doesn’t feel like it counts as a new habit. So, while I am keeping track of it just so it doesn’t fade out again I feel like I have the capacity to add this one as well.
Problem #3. It was too long.
It was hard for me to get started because it felt too daunting, as I mentioned before I had NO core strength so my stamina would wane and I’d quit the video early and end up feeling defeated which didn’t exactly inspire me to it again.
Tweak #3. I switched to doing a 20 minute video instead. Something more approachable both from a time and strength perspective. I would love to someday start my mornings with an hour of a yoga routine I developed myself, but for now a 20-minute video is perfect.
The results?
So far I’ve done my yoga habit 36 times in the last 6 weeks! This might not sound like a big deal if exercise is your jam, but for me it’s a huge win. The best part is my back feels a lot better and I’ve been sleeping really well. My hope is to keep going and expand it little by little as I go.
Here’s my favorite yoga youtube channel if you’re interested in checking it out, I like this one because you can pick the type of yoga your interested in and she does a great job talking you through the poses.
Project: The Pace & Pattern Podcast is up and running! It has been really fun and a lot of work to get it started. I’m interested to watch it grow and develop. Honestly, it’s just been great to do something different with my brain by developing the content each week, I feel inspired to read and learn so I can have more to share.
You can find it here or by searching Pace & Pattern Podcast on itunes
NEW Rhythm: Weekly Budget Meeting with Joseph
I decided that since my rhythm became a habit it felt like I had room to add a new rhythm, This is good news because Joseph and I have been trying to really clarify our finances. We met with David from Bernard Coaching Co. (a financial wellness coach, he’s incredible) several times over the last six weeks and we’ve decided if we have any hope of sticking with our budget we need to check in with each week so we stay on the same page and so I don’t blow all our money on iced lattes.
We’ve tried doing this in the evening before and failed miserably because we’re both tired and don’t feel like doing it. The plan is we’re going to do it on Sunday afternoons while the baby naps and while our kids watch a movie. There will probably be a snack involved to make it a little more fun..I’m thinking ice cream. We’ll also end each meeting talking about the week to come- what’s coming up, how our goals are going and any hopes we have for the week. I hope this will also help us do a better job of stewarding our money and our time.
That’s it for how my goals have evolved!
If you would like someone to talk you through how to set meaningful goals and make them work in your real life I’d love to help. We offer both in person and video coaching sessions for individuals and couples.
