How I’m Switching Up My Goal Setting Process

In this post, I want to share with you how I’m switching up my goal setting process so I can finally get them crossed off my list!

I can’t believe the first quarter of the year is almost come and gone!

It feels like just yesterday, it was the first day of January. Man time flies so much faster than it used to.

I bet if you looked up goal setting, there would millions of posts and articles on how to set goals, how to achieve goals, but even with this plethora of information, it’s still so hard!

I think it comes down to the “why” of it all and letting the little things slip.

The 2 major goals I’ve had for a while now are the 2 F’s: Fitness and Financials.

Year after year, I stay exactly where I started. Throughout the year I may go up, I may go down, but in the end, it evens out and I’m stuck where I started. The worst part is I feel even worse than I did previously. Where did all the time go? What did I do? What should I have done? I could’ve done better, why didn’t I?

Starting this month, it’s going to be different around here. January and February kind of slid past me, but it took me that time to realize I’m not going to stand for this any longer!

I want to share with you 3 ways I’m going to stay on track with my goal setting and how I’m going to stay accountable to get these goals finally crossed off my list.

1| Variable Spending Videos

Have you ever watched “Til Debt Do Us Part”? It was on years ago! The show was based in Canada and it was about cutting couples’ spending habits so they could pay off their debt and get into a better financial position. Gail Vox Oxlade was the host and finance guru that helped everyone on their journey. She would always cut their variable spending by like 80% or 60%, crazy amounts!

What the heck is the point here? Variable spending is where everything goes wrong. Variable spending includes groceries, entertainment, clothing, dining out, household items, etc. These are all the things that vary from month to month. This is exactly where I go wrong.

So starting this month, March, we started using cash envelopes. I’ve tried using it before and it didn’t work as well as I wanted it to. But this time it is different. Why? I’m diving in 100%. In the past, I used a budgeting software to help me budget money. Where I always seemed to go wrong, is that instead of sticking the amount I budgeted for myself, I would just go over, and move money over from somewhere else, which totally defeats the purpose, right?! No wonder I never paid the debt off as quickly as I wanted to! I was busy overspending it elsewhere!

I tracked everything on paper for the month of February and I was so surprised at how much we spent on food. It’s crazy. Here’s my confession…. are you ready? It was like $900! WTH! Not okay. The worst part is, it didn’t feel like it as the month was going by. We needed groceries, we needed snacks and stuff from Costco, nothing out of the ordinary?

No more.

So for March, I created new cash envelopes, got a wallet to hold them, and that’s pretty much how I’ve been spending so far. Granted, we’re only 6 days in. But I’m feeling good about it.

I want to share what I’m doing with you. So I can be held accountable, and I can hold you accountable if you want me to! I’ll be sharing with you my variable spending cash envelope budgets and stuffing (that’s the best part anyway!) and a wrap up at the end of the month to see how we did!

How can you do this at home on your own? Try your darndest to stay within the budget you set for yourself and your family. Comment below, tag me on IG or FB, how you’re doing. I would love to know! We can do this together!

2| Concentrating on food and exercise more than “the number”

My goal number for years has been 135. I don’t even know where this number came from, to be honest. But I’ve held onto it so dear for years. I’ve come really close. Right before I found out I was pregnant with Emmy, I was at about 140. Which would be amazing to me today, but it wasn’t good enough at the time because it wasn’t 135. I would kill for 140 now!

So even though I want to get the scale number down, my priority is exercising 5 days a week and staying within my calorie target and macros. Also making sure I get 100 oz of water daily.

My biggest obstacle with eating has always been sugar. Overeating the sugar. I can honestly say I can’t control my sweet tooth. As soon as I get a tang of sugar from chocolate, pastries, you name it, there’s a switch that I can’t turn off in my head. I have to really distract myself and get away or eat the entire thing and start over tomorrow.

Starting again tomorrow is the single biggest lie I consistently tell myself. I’ll go back to exercising tomorrow, I’ll eat better tomorrow, I’ll stop eating sugar and sweets tomorrow. But after so long, tomorrow never comes. I’m stuck in today. And today constantly repeats itself like the Groundhog day movie.

So I’m going to be putting more emphasis on what I can control. I realized I can’t control the scale. I will still be tracking my numbers and measurements but I can’t control that outcome. The only thing I can only control what I eat and my exercise.

My plan for eating is the macros based approach. I’ve entered my information into online calculators and right now my calories for the day are 1452, protein is 105 g, fat is 48g, and carbs are 150g. So far, on most days, I haven’t been able to hit all of my macros. It’s been hit and miss. I’m also under my calorie goal, which is not the idea! So I’m currently working on that, to dial that in.

As for exercise, I feel like I’ve tried everything under the sun. I’ve done barre, Zumba, weights, online programs, you name it. When I was at the 140 mark years ago, I was doing Zumba like 4 times a week. Since then my Zumba place closed and I haven’t found a class that’s been the same! Don’t you hate that?! So I’ve had to find something new. But I love dancing! It’s so easy for me to dance for an hour.

For right now, I’m doing yoga and walking, alternating between different yoga programs (total body and core). I’m going to add one HIIT day on Sunday. I’ll see if I can see any changes. If not, then I’ll have to switch it up a little for more intensity.

How can you do this for yourself? Find an exercise program you want to try. And stay consistent with it. I use MyFitnessPal to keep track of my food and calories. You can use it too! Their free version is amazing and has everything you need to keep track of your nutrition!

3| Sticking it through even in the toughest moments.

I don’t know about you, but I give up so easily. If I don’t see any physical progress, I will gorge on cake or chocolate or whatever I can get my hands on. If I can’t see the debt go down, I’ll go shopping. I’ll do the complete opposite thing that I’m working towards. I’ll think, if it’s not working, if I’m not seeing results, then why bother? Why am I putting so much effort if nothing is going to come out of it?

But that is where the trouble ultimately lies. Am I really giving it my all, to begin with? A little purchase here, a little bite of scone there (which I did yesterday), it eventually adds up. So I can’t say that I’m putting in the effort 100%. So no, I don’t deserve the results because I’m not really putting in the work.

Are you really giving it your all, to begin with? Are you giving your goals 100% of your effort?

I have to say, for me, I didn’t give 100%. But it’s all a learning experience. I know now what I need to do for the future!

Are you giving your goals 100% of your effort? Where you can truly look back and say I gave it my all?

How can we work on this? Consistently planning ahead of time, sticking to what you say you’re going to do, stop self-sabotaging even when times are getting tough.

If you need a goal setting tracker then check out my Mom’s BFF planner where you can break the goal setting process down quarterly and monthly!

We can do this, friend!

Let me know in the comments below how your 2020 goals are going?! Are you like me, and on the struggle bus at the moment?

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