Monday Moment - Sharpening Me Goals for 2009

January is when I lay out my ambitious goals for the year – so I start the year by looking back. How did I do on my goals for 2008 and what can I learn from my experiences last year to set better and more effective goals for 2009? In every role that I play in my life?

This week, I’m thinking about the role I consider the most important – taking care of and Sharpening Sally (because nobody else will attend to this enormous task better than I can). I set some big, big goals in 2008. Let’s recap:
- Intentionally exercise 300 minutes a week – What a terrific goal this has been. I have failed to achieve a 300 minute weekly average for two years in a row. But I raised my 2008 average by 5 minutes over my 2007 average! Yea! And would I have averaged 267 minutes a week without setting the goal? I doubt it! So to sneak closer to a 300 minute average, I believe I need to up the ante. I’m aiming at 325 in 2009! (Yikes! And this is how I know I’ve set a good goal. If it’s not a little scary, I’m not stretching enough!)
- Swim 100 miles. Hooray! I did it! And actually beat the goal by a mile! This feels good because I achieved 100 miles a year for about 6 years running – until I had knee surgery in 2005. It took me two years of much lower mileage before I got back into the swing of 100 miles. I have to admit that it’s easier for me to get to the pool in December when I know I only have 3 more miles to finish than it is for me to knock off those first 25 miles. But 100 miles in 2009 – that’s my goal, scary or not!
- Lose 23 pounds. Oh well. I’m still struggling. I lost ten! And gained about four back. Not good enough in my mind, hence the increased exercise. Fourteen seems like a good number to shoot for in 2009. I’ll weigh in tomorrow and set my weekly goals accordingly.
- Record the books I read. I started strong and strayed the last few months of 2008. I did more than record, I wrote a synopsis of each book, and that got fairly tedious. I believe I’ll just do a list this year, and I’ll create it on my exercise spread sheet so it will be easier for me to do.
- Get 3 Massages. Nope. Got one. And loved it. I’ll aim at 3 again this year.
- Consolidate Financial Portfolio. Did it. And enjoyed having everything in one place – even if that everything became a lot less than it was earlier in the year.
- Attend Workshop or Conference. This was a nice idea, but not specific enough. Without the specificity, I could weasel out with a conference where I presented instead of attended or accept the 21st Century Grant Review Process as meeting the goal. When neither was the intent of the goal. In 2009, I want to learn to do stained glass. Not sure where or when, but that’s the specific learning I’m going for – and unlike my 2008 goal, I’ll know if I do it or not.
- Use hand-weights 4 times a week. Nope. Didn’t do it. More like occasionally. I’ve started again in 2009 and I’ll be shooting for a habit because everything I read tells me how important strength training is. Every other day. 4 times a week. Good goal. Gotta get to it.

That’s the recap and here are additional goals I’m adding to my 2009 list.

- Hoop 4 days a week. Remember a couple weeks ago when I wrote about building hula hoops? Well I now have one that’s empty and one that’s filled with 3 pounds of rice and that I can barely use for 5 minutes at a time. I’m enlisting Ray’s help to build more of varying weights and my plan is to work up to being able to use a 3-pounder for at least 10 minutes a day unless I’m traveling. (Hoops just won’t go in the suitcase!) So far, hooping has been a great way to break up other less interesting indoor exercise. I just added a spread sheet so I’ll know if I did this one too. (Ditto with the hand-weight goal)
- Complete at least one crossword puzzle a week. Hey, I’m already doing this one, so why not let myself take credit for it? I do think it sharpens me – especially when I’m tackling the big daddy crosswords!
- Avoid injury and illness! During a few weeks in 2008, it was really hard to convince myself that I should get up off the couch. A turned ankle, a nasty cold, an aching back are enough to derail all my other healthy goals. So I will exercise caution and good sense, wash my hands a lot, fasten my seat belt every time, walk carefully on snow, ice, and carpet, and work hard but not too hard in order to keep myself well enough to care about being even healthier!

Big learnings? Being specific helps – and so does keeping a record if it’s easy to do. There’s something rewarding about recording an accomplishment – and there’s something compelling about getting off one’s butt when the record looks incomplete. It’s also clear that my goals need to be both ambitious enough to stretch me and achievable enough so I won’t get discouraged and quit.

My sharpening goals have been working for me – and I’m certain that the refinements and additions I’ve made will help my 2009 goals sharpen me into a better and healthier me in the coming year.

What goals are you setting to make 2009 a healthier – and therefore happier year – for yourself because nobody else will take on the job of sharpening you?

Sally