On my knitting blog I used to make a list of projects each month and set goals for the knitting I'd like to accomplish. It helped keep me on track, and I'm not sure why I stopped. So when June rolled around yesterday, I decided it was time to start my Monthly Goals back up again.
Then I started thinking about my diabetes blog, and the kinds of goals I can set over here. Although I'm taking better care of myself than I ever have, there are still many (many many many) areas in which I can improve. (*ahem* have you noticed I haven't mentioned exercise in a long time) Instead of beating myself up or trying to fix everything at once, I thought it might be a good idea to set a couple of small goals each month.
I thought about how I wanted to kick off my Monthly D-Goals. Exercise seems like an obvious one, but I think I'll save that for another month. I have a very hard time keeping my exercise mojo going, and it seems like a bad idea to set myself up for failure on the first goal list. Eating better is also an obvious goal, but it isn't measureable or quantifiable enough to qualify as a goal. (Hey, look, I ate half a bag of chips instead of a whole bag. That's BETTER!)
After a little more thought, I've come up with two goals for this month. Neither is that hard, but both are pretty important to a life-style that is healthier.
- Get back to drinking eight glasses of water a day - I used to be really good about drinking water, but somehow I've gotten away from it. But I notice a real difference in how I feel when I drink enough water every day. (Not to mention all of the exercise I get running up and down the stairs to the bathroom - hey, double benefit!!)
- Eat at home - between my birthday celebrations and the busy schedules around here lately, we've gotten into a bad habit of stopping for a quick dinner out or bringing take-out home. It leads me to less healthy food choices and SWAG boluses. So, until our cruise at the end of the month, I'll be cooking our all of dinners at home. Unless we have plans to go out with friends - because the goal is not to become anti-social. (Mwahahaha, now to invite a different friend out to dinner each night so I never have to cook! *kidding*)
I think you have a great plan to start with a couple very achievable and measurable goals. Good for you!
ReplyDeleteExercise hasn't been my biggest challenge, but staying motivated when I occasionally plateau in my strength. So I keep a notebook to chart my results, to see the progress I am making. I find it easier to keep at it when I see that every 2-3 weeks I am improving. It might work for you too. Maybe not with the cooking at home, but the glasses of water thing. But certainly when you decide to start exercising, chart your results, no matter how meager to start so you can see the progress you make each day.
ReplyDeleteWoo hoo for goals Karen!!
ReplyDelete"(Not to mention all of the exercise I get running up and down the stairs to the bathroom - hey, double benefit!!)"
I agree. While I don't have the stairs, it does get me Out of my chair. ;-)
And an even bigger woo hoo on the cruise at the end of the month! Nice. :0)
"(Not to mention all of the exercise I get running up and down the stairs to the bathroom - hey, double benefit!!)"
ReplyDeleteI'm still giggling - how true -
I cracked up about the half a bag a chips vs. a whole bag... too funny!
ReplyDeleteI am really digging this idea of posting goals though. Exercise is definitely my #1 problem, one I'm not even convinced has a solution, as awful as I feel saying that because I know it's a very defeatist attitude to have about it. If I can think of some goals - achievable ones - I might get on board with this. And like you, exercise will have to wait for another month.
And this is the part where I again wish we lived closer so we could be exercise buddies - I know I'd do better with that if I had one :(