Keeping Goals
It is a new year and have you started to wonder “How To Keep Your Goals” for this year? It can definitely be overwhelming setting goals and trying to figure out how to keep them. But don’t worry, whatever it may be we have got you covered! We will tackle the 3 top goals people set every year!
The results are in and the top 4 goals people have set for this year are:
Diet Or Healthy Living
Many people try and set many goals for dieting in the new year. It is shown that 71% of people make diet goals.You may want to lose weight or just plain eat healthier. Unfortunately, the failure rate to keep this goal is very high! Like really high! So, let’s dive in and see if we can come up with some strategies to help you stick to your goal and achieve the greatness I know you can!
Strategies for Dieting and Healthy Living
- Great Recipes. One great way to stay on track with your goal is to find some awesome recipes you will be excited to eat. Let’s face it, the boring old diet of eating chicken and rice or raw eggs are just not going to cut it. You need to learn how to cook great meals. You need to learn how to love food but just love the right foods. One resource I love is the Healthy Living Planning Bundle. I love it because it is geared forward EVERYONE. If you are gluten free, no problem…how about keto, no problem…how about vegetarian, still no problem. This bundle really can equip you with a wealth of knowledge that won’t break the bank.
- A Meal Planner. Imagine you are working all day and running the kids around and before you know it it is 6pm. You stop to think about what is for dinner. Think, Think, Think. Hmm. You realize there is nothing fast to cook in your house! What do you do? You go out to eat or pick up fast food. The thing is life gets in the way of eating correctly for most people. But if we have a planner, it can help you to plan out your meals. It can help you know what food to buy at the grocery store. And last it can help you stay on track with your meals.
- Batch Cooking. Are you wondering what batch cooking is? Batch cooking is when you go to make a meal, instead of making one, you make two or three. It is really that simple. This method allows you to have your food prepped and ready to cook without having to wonder what you are cooking for dinner. Plus, in the long run, it helps you save money. Less pit stops for food equals less money spent!
Exercise
Are you getting excited by all the new gym deals that are going on right now? You probably can’t flip on the TV without seeing advertisements for a discount for a new gym membership.
Well, the advertisers know that 65% of people vow to exercise more every year. But what happens come March or April? People find life gets in the way of going to the gym.
First, you start going to the gym 4 days a week. Then, after 2 months it goes down to two days a week. And after that, before you know it, you have missed so many days going to the gym that ends up being a waste of money! Who has done that? Raise your hand!
I think most people have done that at some point in their life. I know I have. But once again the failure rate is about 80%. That means 80% of people do NOT stay at the gym. What is there to do?? Let’s find you some strategies to help you keep your goal.
Strategies for Exercise
- Exercise With A Friend. Research has shown that you are more likely to stay physically fit if you work out with a partner. You could go running with a buddy or grab your bestie and go work out at the gym. Either way, having that other person there to help us and encourage us does help us stay motivated. They also will help keep you accountable and help you attain your exercise goals.
- Exercise Tracker. I think men use this more than women, but the use of an exercise journal will help you set your goals and follow through with them. For some reason, we really like checking things off that are written down. Writing a goal down also allows you to write down the steps it takes to reach that goal. When you have a plan and it is written down, you are more likely to keep this goal. Try it!
- Find The Right Program For You. Most people who have exercise as their goal, often feel like they have to go to a gym to achieve this goal. But in fact, that is just not true! You can stream exercise videos at home with Beachbody. You can go on hikes or walks with your dog. You can train for a marathon or set a goal to bike across town. The fact is there are so many different kinds of workout programs like weights, pilates, yoga, or even dancing. Don’t just assume you have to like to exercise one way. Experiment and find your niche! My favorite place to find to work out is my home. I like to stream BEACH BODY. They have so many videos with all different lengths. They also will help you meal plan and find you a coach!
Save More Money
There is a reason people tend to make saving money a New Years goal. We are all broke from Christmas! I feel like from the summer on, my financial responsibility dwindles. Summer comes and the kids get out of school, and all I can think about is fun! What will our family do in the summer? Vacation or kids’ camps. It can get down right expensive!
After the summer comes back to school shopping, buying new curriculum, signing up for extra-curricular activities. The list just goes on and on. After school and sports start, then comes Halloween, Thanksgiving, and then Christmas.
Society tells us we NEED to buy all these new things for our family or we will not make it through the new year. We need a bigger TV (but they are cheaper then), my kids need this new toy…oh wait I have 3 kids that need this! Are you done shopping for your family? Now shop for your friends, Christmas parties you go to, your parents, your spouse’s parents, nieces, and nephews. Really the list goes on! And before you know it, you have blown all reminisce of a budget.
Now January is going to come, and you can refocus on your budget again! Well at least for the next 6 months! What are you supposed to do? Here are some strategies for you.
Strategies for Saving More Money
- Budget Budget Budget. Set a budget and keep it up throughout the year. Write it down so you are more accountable for it.
- Take A Dave Ramsey Course. We all know Dave Ramsey is a budget genius, but really his budgeting system is AMAZING! We went through Financial Peace University 4 years ago and loved it. We learned so much that we ended up teaching it the next 2 years at our church. Guys really is will rock your budget world. Sign up for a class.
- Pay Cash for EVERYTHING! Paying cash is part of the Dave Ramsey method and he is right. No longer will you have death my $20. You will be able to pay cash, hence relieving that feeling of “Can I afford it?”. You will know how much you have left in your grocery account and if you an afford to go to dinner with your bestie. The pressure of failure is so much less when you pay for cash and follow Dave Ramsey!
See, here is the thing…Making goals for the New Year sounds great! But the fact is 80% of people who make goals fail! That is such a high rate, but it is the truth. I do not want YOU to fail though. I want to see you succeed. I want to see you grow.
Please try some of these strategies and see if they are right for you. I want you to still keep your goals of healthy living, exercise, and saving more. You will succeed if you try and find what system works better for you and stick to you. Find a buddy or partner and tell them your goals. Let them know you would like them to keep you accountable for the goals you set.
Now go brainstorm some of these strategies and find which ones work best for you!
Hi my name is Laurie. I am so glad you are here! I am a Christian homeschooling mom of 3, caregiver to my Veteran husband, mom to a son with Autism, community volunteer, travel loving, and blogger. As you might notice, I do not live the “expected life”. Come join my family and other families as we experience Living The Unexpected Life.
