A Boomer's Footprint

Tag: goals

  • Results Fall 2016 – 90 day challenge

    As many of you know, I lost my mother October 1st, 2016. If you have lost a loved one, you know how the grieving process works. Up, down, in, out, sometimes just getting through the day.

    I had just started a new 90 day challenge on Sept. 21st and while I worked on my plan I didn’t have the fortitude to write about my process.

    Now the 90 days have concluded and I am happy to report my results.

    I realize you may have to squint to read all of my accomplishments, but the details are not that important to you. I am sharing this pic to show how I use a journal to track my activities.

    A few of the bigger tasks completed are – (1) I move on 7 boxes or bags of “stuff”, (2) I finally used the NEAT scanner purchased a few years ago and scanned dozens of clients file, enough to fill 2 cartons of papers for shredding, (3) I purchased a new Refrigerator and new Dishwasher, and (4) I continued to sort, organize and move things around to better fit them in my home.

    My for my next 90 Challenge, I am repeating last year’s health and fitness goals. In 2016, I had very modest results. The best I can say is while I used my fitbit regularly, I didn’t see much progress. This is shocking to me since my count is 1,850,768 over 50 weeks –  Dec 30, 2015 through Jan 02, 2017. I have to admit I was not putting enough effort into my “steps”.  So I’ll work on stepping it up this time around. I will keep you posted.

     

  • 60 Day Check In

    mind-spiritTime flies even if you‘re not having fun. You know being “challenged.” But you can succeed with a “that’s the spirit” attitude.

    60 days done, 30 more to go. Perfect time for a mini evaluation.

    Do you have one of these three results so far?

    -1- Definitely on Track and will meet your challenge. Nothing need be said. Finish strong. You may even choose to step it up and surpass your goal. Share your strategy with us.

    -2- Average Results to date. You made progress but probably won’t hit your target.   Perfectly acceptable. Keep working and Finish strong. You can readjust your goal so in the end you will achieve a success by the end of the challenge.

    -3- Whoa, what happened? You are so far off track, you’re embarrassed. But don’t be ashamed, totally discouraged or fall into serious negative self talk. None of these attitudes or  beliefs will help you succeed during the next 30 days or your next challenge.

    Take time to figure out where you went wrong. This is definitely a journal opportunity, if you can even find it.

    First, make a list of ALL the reasons you got off track, for instance time management, lack of motivation, wrong choice, etc. Remember if you don’t know what’s broke you can’t fix it.

    Is there a common denominator in your lack of progress?

    Did you choose too big a goal?

    Did you choose the wrong challenge?

    Were you unrealistic in your goal considering what else was happening in your life this summer?

    There is always something to learn from failures? What is yours?

    The important thing now is to simply “Begin Again.”

    Reset a more manageable “30 day goal“. Don’t quit on yourself. Identify one thing you will do every day for the next 30 days.

    The 10 minute a day process is a great technique to use. Surely you can commit to 10 minutes a day to adopt a new habit or eliminate an old one.

    This is a chance for a new beginning. Will you accept the challenge?

     

     

     

     

     

  • Procrastination

    stock-photo-retro-effect-and-toned-image-of-a-woman-hand-writing-on-a-notebook-handwritten-quote-399696850

    This is a tough obstacle to overcome!

    Procrastination is “the act of replacing more urgent actions with tasks less urgent, or doing something from which one derives enjoyment, thus putting off impending tasks to later time”. (wikipedia) So while we can’t argue with the desire to seek enjoyment, leaving tasks undone does not make them go away and can actually add more pressure or anxiety into the mix.

    This is something I know about first hand.  My schedule is to post every Thursday.  I can usually find an excuse why I can’t or won’t. When I procrastinate on this task, I feel I’m not keeping my word, letting down my readers and I lessen the importance on my commitment to you. My usual hang up is finding an appropriate photo for the message. As you can see this week I didn’t even crop the pic like I often try to do. At my procrastination moments I say, Dorothy, get writing. And I DO. Hence today’s post.

    There may be small upside to procrastinating. Sometimes while pondering a problem or task, we come up with a solution or more effective way to accomplish it.  But overall, the negatives far out weigh this possibility.

    Why do we procrastinate:

    We don’t love doing the activity

    FEAR – we want to avoid the unfamiliar

    We are not competent to do the task

    We underestimate the time frame the task requires

    We believe we must be in right mood to do the task

    We are unorganized

    We believe we need the task to be perfect

    We don’t see the reward by completing the task

    Here’s a quick tool to overcome procrastination: Start by doing something that gives you a sense of accomplishment.  Choose a small step that can happen in 10-15 minutes. And get it done.

    When you complete your goal, pay attention to how you feel.  Is there an improvement in your mood?

    Reward yourself for achieving a success. Make a list of the daily  accomplishments in a journal. It helps us focus on how many things we DO.  Read through it daily, smile as you recall success.

  • How to stay committed

    stock-vector-motivation-concept-chart-with-keywords-and-icons-273624035 (2)

    We are 30 days into our “90 Day Challenge.” Read on to learn a very important tool that will help you achieve success in reaching your goal.

    KNOW YOUR WHY – What motivation do you need to stay committed to achieving your goal? Why will you stick with your action plan?

    Here are the top three tips to keep you motivated:

    -1- Benefits – Open your journal and reread your goal. Next, write out a list of benefits you experience now and once you’ve achieved your goal. Be specific and detailed.

    -2- Reward Yourself – This technique can be a great motivator. It worked for our kids and it can work for us now.  Reward yourself for your small achievements, recognize your effort and then treat yourself to a reward.

    Choose something meaningful. For example, don’t choose a big ice cream cone when you are trying to loose weight, instead save up for a healthy massage.

    -3- Connect with your team to stay motivated, keep you on track. Accept both their encouragement and criticism when you need it.

    Here is great article to help you write out your benefits.

    10 Powerful Benefits of Change and Why We Should Embrace It

    Sorry you may have to cut and paste. But is will be worth the effort. (Another blog skill for me to learn.  Post a comment if you know how.  Thanks.)

    Good luck.

  • Maybe I am being selfish, but you can be selfish too.

    chained hands

     

     

     

    Break out of the chain holding you back.

     

    If you are really committed to meeting your challenge, you must become “selfish.” Yep, this is one time when it’s okay to put “me” first. And I don’t mean selfish in a take-take-take or needy-needy way. But by taking the time and focus needed to reach your goal and allowing your family and team to do the same.

     Life is busy – full of to-do lists, chores, endless emails, social media surfing, not to mention maintaining real time relationships and oh yes, FUN and relaxation.

    We have expectations and demands from ourselves, bosses, customers, clients, suppliers, friends and loved ones.

    No wonder we go to bed exhausted, sleep fitfully and wake up tired.

    We often jump from one task to the next. We stop what we are doing one moment and give our attention to this new thing.

    (As a personal opinion – this is why the cell phones are so distracting.  Does your phone ping every time you get an incoming message?  And then do you stop whatever you are doing and react?)

    Following up on the recent post – Adopt a Good Habit – a key element for achieving success is to make your action a priority each and every day.

    -1- Your habit should be a regular and consistent. Complete your new action the same time, same place every day. Write it in your calendar and do it. Remember, No Excuses. If you miss a day, it’s okay just begin again.

    -2- Take small action steps. Break a big goal into manageable bites. You’d be surprised how much you can accomplish in 10 – 30 minutes a day.

    -3- Plan Ahead. If your action requires tools, books, tapes, trash bags, boxes, or your work out clothes, have them ready to use before the scheduled task time. Don’t waste time “Getting Ready”, then run out of time to do the activity.

    And don’t forget to tackle your task with joy and enthusiasm. We can improve the quality of our lives right now.

    Read your affirmations and goals every day to remind yourself why you are committed to change.

    Good luck.  Let me know how you are doing.

     

  • Adopt a Good Habit

    people-sanddune

    Your road ahead only seems like you are climbing an insurmountable sand dune at first! But regular, small steps will get you there.

    You already know why I suggest that adopting a new habit is an integral component of achieving your 90 Day Challenge. But to spell it out……

    “A Habit is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously.”  Wikipedia

    The obvious key words here – regularly and occur subconsciously.

    If only we were already at the subconscious stage but NO not yet. But by  repeating an action over and over again, by taking consistent, small steps daily, we can reach our goal. Our routine can become rote –a habit.

    Keeping a record of your 90 Day Challenge experience is so important.  Sitting down every day and writing in your journal, can keep you motivated to keep working towards goal. It’s actually encouraging to read back over your writings to see your progress.

    Then, imagine sharing your journey with others. This is my goal on the “ourcommonjourney” blog page.

    Here are my 8 steps for adopting a new habit. The 8 steps will be part of our conversation over the next few months.

    -1- Know your WHY

    -2-What is your goal  (Should be written by now)

    -3- Use affirmations, visualization and meditation (Should be written)

    -4- Commit to 90 days – Our challenge

    -5- Make it regular

    -6- Start with small steps

    -7- Plan ahead

    -8- Accept a bump in the road.

    Next post is about committing to our action plans.

     

     

  • Our 90 Day Goal

    believe in your dreams (2)We are ready to go – to accomplish our 90 Day Challenge. We chose our challenge. We wrote an affirmation. We’ve had 10 days to get used to the idea, so game on.

    Remember, the affirmation is a one line statement, written in the present tense of where you will be, what you will have accomplished by September 21, 2016.  For example,     I AM FIT.

    Next we will write a goal for our “90 Day Challenge”.

    I’m suggesting a different method of goal setting, which I learned from Steve Pavlina, a successful personal development advocate.  In the past, I used the SMART method of goal setting but now prefer Pavlina’s method.

    Traditionally we think of a goal as an achievement made in the future, but the main purpose of our goal is to improve the quality of our present. We can’t guarantee the future but we can control what we are doing now – each and every day.  So if I want to be FIT, then every day I keep my body moving, building my strength and stamina.

    The purpose of our goal is to gain clarity and focus and to keep motivated right now. We will change our attitude about engaging in our activity.

    By focusing on the NOW, we will also learn skills which we can repeat in future challenges and goals.

    Some benefits of setting goals are:

    To Learn about ourselves or a new skill

    To create a life style

    To gain Inner Strength

    To become persistent

    To gain self-confidence

    To develop self-belief

    To become a leader

    To accomplish our big challenge

    Using present tense language, write down your goal.  For example:

    My goal is to read 20 minutes each night before falling asleep.

    My goal is to volunteer in a new organization, learning a new skill set.

    My goal is to lose 10 pounds.

    My goal is to have an organized garage, closet, or……

    Write your goal in your journal, on a device, index card or calendar – keep it somewhere that is always visible and where you will look at it every day.

    Some life style changes, can best be achieved by adopting or eliminating a habit. A behavior we perform on a regular, consistent basis. By taking steps every day to achieve our goal.

    My next post is on adopting a new habit.

     

     

  • 3 months later – DK loses two inches around waist

    This is such great news! I am happy with this small accomplishment – only 3 more inches to go.

    We know that making physical changes is a life long commitment to being healthy and fit. Results are not only measured by the scale reading but how we feel and how our clothes fit. This is what I have noticed first. My pants are falling down to my hips.

    The fitbit has been key to my success. I have consistently “stepped” over 5,000 times 5 times a week, whatever it takes to get them done.

    For example, last night I came home from an art gallery reception at 9:35 at night. It could’ve been so easy to miss my daily goal. Maybe the old me would have but the not the new me. I had only walked 3,100 steps for the day and so I started moving and ended with 6,023 steps for the day.

    The key to my 2″ loss is “persistence pays off”. I do what it takes to keep moving.

    Check out these before and after photos.

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    Before

     

     

    After

     

     

     

    As to my two February goals, I was only half succeeded.

    -1- no chocolate – I resisted this craving for the month.  Though there wasn’t a day that went by without dreaming of that gooey goodness.  Must say already in March, I am making up for lost chocolate but since I don’t keep any in the house it takes an effort to indulge.

    -2- drink water – a total failure. I finally measured the glass bottle I use in the house and discovered that it only holds 5 cups so drinking one bottle a day doesn’t even meet the suggested quota. Unfortunately, I did’t even drink this one bottle each day.  This is a dilemma because I often feel thirsty which should inspire me to drink a water.

    So for March I will continue with my steps and again work on drinking water.

    How did you do with your health and fitness goals?  Let me know.

  • Feb 2016 fitness plan

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    Love these California sunsets from my kitchen window overlooking the neighborhood.

     

     

     

    If you have started a weight lose program in the past, did you discovered that change does not happen overnight? I sure learned it this past month.

    I lost one whole pound during January. I see why the statement the last five pounds to lose are the hardest to lose is true. I have  some consolation since I only want to lose 5 pounds in total.

    Fitness and improved health requires a lifetime commitment to exercise and proper eating.

    Even though my scale may not show good results, I feel successful meeting my January goals.

    First, I stopped drinking alcohol for the entire month. Frankly, it wasn’t hard to do and I will continue in February.

    Second, during the days that I wore my fitbit – 26 of them – I took  124,505 steps. Sounds like a lot to me.  I noticed that I took around 2,500 steps just walking during the day and added on at least another 2,500 steps with a focused activity – dancing, walking in place, etc. So I am definitely continuing using this device.

    My new February goals are:

    (1) Drink Water! at least recommended the 8 cups a day. Should be easy.

    (2) No Chocolate.  This will be a challenge.  On day one alone, I miss my treats.

    Can’t wait to see what happens by month’s end.

    How did you do?

     

  • My 2016 Bucket List

    2016 is not now when

     

    I did it. Completed my 2016 bucket list. (see details below)

    In 5 years, I will retire from my accounting and tax business, if ready then.

    Over my lifetime, I will continue to develop my knowledge as a boomer expert and work on my life story.

     

    For 2016, I am focused on several UN……’s. I have many home organizing projects which I have been procrastinating about.  Some for years. I am sick of looking at and thinking about them!  So I gave myself a deadline by my birthday this coming June.  Wish me luck.  But of course, I need to take action. I have already completed three tasks.

    Second, I am making it a point to include more fun activities into my life.  I chose some items I always said “some day I will…..”

    Third, I continue to work on my fitness goals. I am having success using my fitbit, averaging 5,000 steps a day.  Soon I will increase my daily number of steps. But for now, I am focusing on consistency.  Some nights at 9PM, I get myself going to get in my count. I won’t bore you with my weekly progress which I posted earlier this month, except to report my highest count of 7,467 steps on Friday, Jan 15th.  So with a just a little extra effort, I can step “More”.

    Lastly, my big goal is on the business side: (1) write one book, (2) generate income from my website, (3) organize three boomer events, (4) develop an I-book series on coaching tips, (5) improve my computer proficiency. Whoa!

    Journal cover

     

     

    Here is the cover to my journal. I have set lofty ambitions for 2016.  I better get cracking and set some clear goals. Coming soon.