Springin' forward in 2017

Spring is upon us and its the perfect season for Daizies to blossom!

Although it feels like winter, the sunshine is starting to peak through. It’s hard to believe the year is already 1/4 of the way over. At the beginning of the year, I of course wrote down some goals and things I wanted to work on for the new year… resolutions if you want to call it that. I believe spring is the perfect time to look back at that list and revise, elaborate, delete, and/or reflect on my feelings towards what was originally written down. Even within 3 months, things can change and especially in college I am learning more and more about myself.

Revising for more effective goals

It’s easy to plan resolutions during relaxing times. For example, saying I want to go to the gym once a week and jog outside each week sounded realistic over winter break when I had absolutely nothing to do. But once school started it was less realistic considering my work days consisted of being at school and studying 10-12 hours a day with the gym an entire bus ride away (lol the bus ride is only like 8 minutes but still…). I still want to be more active because of all the health benefits that come with it. So how do I take the steps to get the results I want?

What are the obstacles preventing me?

Getting to root causes will help determine solutions. In this case its simple. I’m tired, the gym is too far away, and when it’s cold outside I would rather be under my covers watching Scandal and figuring out why Abby tried Olivia. With the root causes laid out I can now brainstorm solutions to some or most. Tired? Pick out time frames in which I have the most energy and days that are least exhausting. It’s probably not a good idea to plan going to the gym or exercising on class heavy days such as Mondays and Wednesdays. Even though I don’t start class until 1:30 pm, I always use my mornings to get a head start on homework and studying. Even Tuesdays and Thursdays can be busy with working in the late morning, one class in the afternoon, and followed by group project meetings. This leaves me with Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. I have now found my ideal time frame to take action.

Why do I want to do this?

Reaffirming my motivations will help inspire and determine how your objectives have changed. If you can’t really come up with why YOU want to do something then maybe it’s someone else’s goal or not yours. Also, things can change and you may not be as interested in something as you were a few months ago and that’s okay. Asking questions like “Who am I doing this for and why?” are great questions to start with.
My example: Exercising has been found to reduce the effects of stress, and I want to have healthy stress management. Exercise makes you feel good (releases endorphins). I’m in my 20s now and want to set healthy habits so I can live a long life and have a strong heart, muscles, etc. It’s actually fun to push myself and do more than I thought I could .

Baby steps. What can I do THIS week to make my best effort?

I’m probably not going to jump up and become an active gym member anytime soon but I do want to use my school’s gym while my tuition is still automatically paying for it. So starting small I can point out activities held at the gym that I actually enjoy. Roller skating! It is a form of exercise and won’t be a huge jump. It is also on a Friday which I identified as an ideal day for exercising. If I have other plans, I could try yoga in the late mornings. I’m genuinely interested in going to a yoga class since I’ve been doing yoga independently for 10 years every morning. I’m interested in seeing what it’s like being in an actual class and improving my form. Don’t feel like signing up for the class? There is always Sunday and a park down the street where I can jog for 15-20 minutes. I have now given myself 3 detailed opportunities to begin baby steps of frequent exercising.
I used a simple example of exercising but using the framework can help with more  is complex and long-term goals. With longer-term goals of starting my career after graduating in a year and becoming an entrepreneur, this same evaluation can be used on a timescale of thinking 0-3, 3-6, and 6-9 month increments. Reflecting and taking corrective action when necessary is essential to effective goal setting and goal reaching!
In the meantime, take the time do something that makes you life or smile and enjoy the sunshine ( depending on where you live this may be every now and then).