Little Things Matter

A Sorority sister of mine hipped me to this website Little Things Matter! Its a blog by an interesting man and he gives insight and advice into how to be successful and achieve your goals. The first article I read was entitled Live by Design, not by Default! The title sucked me in because that is my motto. I don't know how or why people leave things to chance when you can make a plan and follow through. Maybe its a way to avoid disappointment. Anyway it hit me as I am regrouping on this journey and realized I have been so busy I have YET to rework my Vision Board or set up a workout plan. These are little things that matter! It may only take a few minutes but it can make all the difference in the world! Below are a few thoughts on some of the points Todd Smith mentions:

Six Basic Elements to Goal Setting
1. They must be important to you—Goals are not casual wishes and things you simply desire. The only way you will achieve any goal is if the goal is truly important to you. If the goal is only slightly or moderately important, it’s highly unlikely that you will follow through and do what is required to achieve it.

~ This accounts for all the goals I have achieved to date. I decided I wanted to be a lawyer at age 10, I made up my mind to run a half marathon, I set a goal of getting a certain legal career, I have committed to giving back to the community by mentoring and helping people in need and when I make up my mind something is important I stick with it. I think the problem is I have had a lot going on with work, AKA, Junior League, and looking for a new adjunct professor position (which i got by the way!) I just have not focused in on my weight loss/healthy lifestyle goals with the same drive I've been focusing on these other things with lately. There's been a lot of stress and I just have not dealt with it in a healthy way. But the good thing is I have already acheived this weight loss goal so I know it can be done as long as I refocus and make up my mind!

2. They must be specific—You must know exactly what you want. Your goals cannot be vague or ambiguous. For example, if you want to lose weight, you would not set a goal to simply lose weight. Instead your goal must be specific; such as I want to lose 30 pounds.

~My goals are:
-to do a hot yoga class
-to lose 50 pounds
-find another event to do next year (I am thinking about an extreme event like a Mud Crawl) I am looking into it and it is basicallyy a 6 mile run where you challenge yourself to run, climb and crawl through an obstacle course!) I read blog call I Run Like A Girl and she did one and the pictures were so amazing! I will have to look for her site I thought it was on my blog roll.
-get certified as a spin instructor
-get back to Brick Bodies & Chizel It gym during the week



3. They must have deadlines—What is the date or deadline for when you want to have achieved your objective? If you do not establish a date to achieve your goal, you won’t feel any urgency, you won’t be motivated and you won’t be able to draft an action plan to achieve it.

~This is mega important I already know that so let's revisit my list:
My goals are:
-to do a hot yoga class- Ok I left my group on expire! But I will do this before Christmas (Monday Nov. 29th!)
-to lose 50 pounds by May 1st 2011

-find another event to do next year (I am thinking about an extreme event like a Mud Crawl) I am looking into it and it is basically a 6 mile run where you challenge yourself to run, climb and crawl through an obstacle course!) I read blog call I Run Like A Girl and she did one and the pictures were so amazing! I will have to look for her site I thought it was on my blog roll.
Will begin looking into this in the Spring
-get certified as a spin instructor by Nov. 2011
-Back tot he gym during the week- Tuesday, Nov.23rd!

4. They must be measurable—Whatever it is you want to achieve must be something you can measure. If you cannot measure your goal, how will you know if you are making any progress towards its achievement?

-Weight loss is easy but I will weigh in today at home. I been MIA from WW but I will go back before the new year bus pulls up (lol) as my WW leader says about the new years resolution dieters!
-In terms of the gym I will do a chart I did this last year with my plan and my actual workout that seemed to focus me and if I had a goal of 6 hours in the gym if Wednesday came and I only had 4 hours I knew I'd have to get in on Thursday for a long stretch like 2 classes or Thursday and Friday OR use my treadmill at home. But seeing it in writing got it done!

5. They must be realistic—Goals should make you stretch and push yourself, but they shouldn’t be so high that you set yourself up for failure. Once you achieve a goal, your confidence will grow and your desire to set and achieve new goals will follow.

~Like I was saying earlier since I have already lost a majority of the weight I know I can do it its just a matter of refocusing and getting back to where I was 6 months ago! Coolness!

6. They must be in writing—Goals are not dreams in the back of your mind that someday you hope to accomplish. Instead goals are definitive objectives that must be written down and reviewed on a periodic basis.

~Oh no see I type too fast lol the gotcha/gotcha is actually doing it. Its gonna be a busy weekend as usual and I just need to take a minute and write. I am back to journaling so maybe I can get a two for one by writing this plan out in my new journal.


Good stuff! I am not interested is starting fresh in the new year because this is a lifestyle change so I need to just make small moves now and jump in. I have no doubt that this is an important goal and that I can do it I just need to shift my priorities. I have but Junior League on the back burner and AKA I am going to see how to manage my time better with the new responsibilities of my recent regional appointment. My relationship is priority as well and balancing my life in terms of friends new and old and socializing is all apart of the picture. I am stopping all travel plans until the new year. I have an every other year trip to Sedona for a spa getaway with Mom and sis my infamous "before picture" at the Grand Canyon was done in 2009 I was looking forward to going back in 2011 for 2 year later shot. But we'll see! I am kinda burnt out from all the jet setting last year but we will see. Plus Italy, Spain, and France awaits and before you know it its the Fall again! My life...gotta love it! :-)

I can honestly say I am VERY happy at this point in my life everythign seems to be coming together and I feel good. I know exercise is my fountian of youth and it gives me extra energy (like I need more energry) but I feel better when I am working out. I jsut need to get over this 30 day hump. They say it takes 21 days to make a new habit so this weekend I will make my plan and Monday will begin my 21 workout challenge.


Anyway I have some community service to do today, then an AKA event, then a birthday party and tomorrow there's another AKA event and then dinner with a Soror. Just like that the weekend is over!


Sometime today I will map out my workouts this week and I will report back!!!