Naturally, this is the time of year to make goals and attempt to change. What a person feels like they need to change and whether that is a "good change" or not is highly personal and probably doesn't require much comment.
More interesting is how you go about making that change. What do you do (from types of goals you choose down to the daily implementation) to achieve your goals?
I always try to have a meaningful, measurable goal. I'm not going to lose weight, I'm going to lose 15 pounds in the next eight weeks. Then I break them down into tasks that can be followed daily, like measure all food consumed, exercise 45 minutes, etc.
The place where I struggle is the day-to-day tasks, and I still haven't found the answer. This can be especially hard for me on the winter as I deal with seasonal affective disorder (which is why I often wait until spring for my goals).
How do you manage your desire for growth and change?
> The place where I struggle is the day-to-day tasks, and I still haven't found the answer.
One thing that worked for me (but I accept it might not work for everyone) that was given me by an occupational therapist was to break everything down into tiny tasks.
Thus, not "I will wash the dishes", but "I will gather everything that needs washing." then "I will scrape them off" and "I will clean the sink" then "I will put dishes in sink with hot hot water and dish soap" then "I will scrub them and let them drain" then "I will dry them" finally "I will put them away". Each task is small and easily achievable, even if it's a tough day. And doing one small task gives you a small sense of achievement, and gets you moving around. That might be enough for you to continue doing things, or you might decide that's enough for the day. But at least you've stopped things going backwards, and started making progress.
Another thing that helped me was having a rigid structure. Thus, Thursday is always "take the trash out". But don't overload each day with tasks. Just put 2 tasks per day, and make sure you include 1 thing for you each day.
I guess these are more useful when days are tough, rather than just everyday.
I too, seem to struggle with the day to day tasks. I hope that by publicly announcing my goals, it will make it slightly easier.
I also tried to break down my daily tasks into something that is actually manageable. I feel like many people, when breaking down their goals, tend to overload themselves or put themselves into a routine they simply can't manage or maintain for long periods of time.
Some tasks contribute directly to goals, other tasks just get you through the day.
Don't know what to make of that, other than to think that those two types of tasks are probably managed differently, and they probably give you different emotional payoff.
Comments
Naturally, this is the time of year to make goals and attempt to change. What a person feels like they need to change and whether that is a "good change" or not is highly personal and probably doesn't require much comment.
More interesting is how you go about making that change. What do you do (from types of goals you choose down to the daily implementation) to achieve your goals?
I always try to have a meaningful, measurable goal. I'm not going to lose weight, I'm going to lose 15 pounds in the next eight weeks. Then I break them down into tasks that can be followed daily, like measure all food consumed, exercise 45 minutes, etc.
The place where I struggle is the day-to-day tasks, and I still haven't found the answer. This can be especially hard for me on the winter as I deal with seasonal affective disorder (which is why I often wait until spring for my goals).
How do you manage your desire for growth and change?
> The place where I struggle is the day-to-day tasks, and I still haven't found the answer.
One thing that worked for me (but I accept it might not work for everyone) that was given me by an occupational therapist was to break everything down into tiny tasks.
Thus, not "I will wash the dishes", but "I will gather everything that needs washing." then "I will scrape them off" and "I will clean the sink" then "I will put dishes in sink with hot hot water and dish soap" then "I will scrub them and let them drain" then "I will dry them" finally "I will put them away". Each task is small and easily achievable, even if it's a tough day. And doing one small task gives you a small sense of achievement, and gets you moving around. That might be enough for you to continue doing things, or you might decide that's enough for the day. But at least you've stopped things going backwards, and started making progress.
Another thing that helped me was having a rigid structure. Thus, Thursday is always "take the trash out". But don't overload each day with tasks. Just put 2 tasks per day, and make sure you include 1 thing for you each day.
I guess these are more useful when days are tough, rather than just everyday.
I too, seem to struggle with the day to day tasks. I hope that by publicly announcing my goals, it will make it slightly easier.
I also tried to break down my daily tasks into something that is actually manageable. I feel like many people, when breaking down their goals, tend to overload themselves or put themselves into a routine they simply can't manage or maintain for long periods of time.
Some tasks contribute directly to goals, other tasks just get you through the day.
Don't know what to make of that, other than to think that those two types of tasks are probably managed differently, and they probably give you different emotional payoff.