Goals in 2011

I learned a lot about myself as I worked on my goals for 2011 (I set goals, not resolutions, and yes, there is a difference). At the beginning of the year I wrote out some of my goals. And then I set up a spreadsheet. Every week the spreadsheet automatically added the appropriate amount to my overall goal for each thing up to the end of that week. Every day that I did that thing I got to put a 1 in the box and it got added to my overall total for the year. Spreadsheets are the grown-up sticker charts. :x:

For those things I wanted to do daily – morning prayer, scripture study, daily vitamin, fresh fruit or vegetable, flossing (added in October), and a photo – I was perfect. I knew I couldn’t get behind and they all got done every single day. I think I’m most proud of the fresh fruits and vegetables and the flossing since those are things I’ve never ever been good at.

For those things that needed to happen once a week, family home evening, or once a month, temple service, they also were perfect.

However for those things that were a few times a week but not necessarily designated on any particular day – I did awful. Well, not awful. I’m around 80% for all of them from where I wanted to be. So that’s good. Except for desserts. I discovered that I eat more than one dessert a week. But less than two. However that’s only counting formal desserts, not a handful of candy here and there. It was good to start to see exactly what I’m doing there.

So it seems that if I can get behind on something I tend to do just that. Those things that I wanted to do only a few times a week also took more time than my daily things. And if it wasn’t specifically scheduled, it tended to slip through the cracks.

I’m going to keep my “sticker chart” in 2012. I like that accountability to myself that I can see. Only I’m going to take what I’ve learned this year and do better next year. More accountability. More scheduling of those things that I want to be my priorities. We all have exactly the amount of time in a day to do those things we want to do. What you end up doing is what you truly wanted to do. I want my time and energy to count for something, to matter. I need to stop letting “play games on the internet” be such a priority in my life.

Previous posts on priorities:
* No time!! – 13 April 2011
* Priorities that matter – 29 June 2011