Getting Back On Track With Your Goals

Do you find yourself “busy” each day without really accomplishing much? Keep reading for a few tips to help you with getting back on track with your goals, so you can make some real progress today!

2020 is definitely not going as expected. There’s COVID-19, overt racism, and everything in between. We’ve all been a bit thrown off with things not going at all like we planned. As moms, we had so much more on our plates when our families were thrown into social distancing. Your kids and hubby are home way more than expected. There’s more to do around the house. Plus, you had to keep up with virtual schooling while you still had to work yourself. And keep your family safe from the pandemic.

Then, the senseless killings, the protests, the racism. Everything else seemed so trivial compared to what was going on in the rest of the world. Emotionally and mentally, it’s been hard to stay focused.

I started 2020 with a lot of goals in mind. My one resolution was to be more consistent. And I wanted to do that in every area of my life. As a mom, a wife, and a pediatrician. I planned to stick to my to-do lists, meal-planning, laundry schedule, and work-out schedule. I planned to be more intentional in spending quality time with my hubby and my kids. To be more in touch with my extended family and friends. To make more time for self-care.

I have a lot of systems in place to help my life run smoothly, but don’t always execute them the way I should. And this was my year to do that.

But, 2020 had other plans

Things got thrown off track. And I admit it’s taking me a little while to get everything back in order.

We’re almost 1/2 way through the year. And even though we’re headed into another spike of COVID-19 cases, I’m determined to start working on my goals again. And I encourage you to do the same!

So, where do you start?

Before you get started, I recommend grabbing my Balanced Mom Toolbox, which is a digital library that includes my super-popular Goal Planner. Simply print the Goal Planner out, follow along with the tips in the post, and use it on a regular basis to help with reaching your goals.

Here are a few tips for getting back on track with your goals:

Do a brain dump

Right now, I have so much going through my head, and it really helps to just pour all those thoughts out on paper. All my goals, no matter how big or small. No matter how long they’ll take me to accomplish. I’m writing them all down so I can see them clearly in front of me.

Think about where you want to be next week, next month, next year, or in a couple years. What have you been dreaming about doing? Use the “Brain Dump” worksheet in the Goal Planner to write all your goals down.

Prioritize

There are certain things that I know I need to do RIGHT NOW to get back on track. And certain things that can wait a few months. With my kids and hubby being home for the past few months, things have been piling up in every room. Decluttering is definitely at the top of my list of priorities. It’ll help to bring some order back to our house. Plus, it’ll help me feel a little lighter and better able to focus on all my other goals.

I recommend prioritizing the things on your “brain dump” list. Figure out which goals you’d like to accomplish in what order. Place a number beside each one, from highest to lowest priority.

Make a plan

Start big, get smaller

Once you’ve got your list of priorities in place, it’s time to make a plan of action. What do you need to do to get each of those goals done? If you have goals with specific deadlines, be sure to make your plan with those deadlines in mind. If you have big, long-term goals, break them up into actionable steps and create deadlines for yourself. I know those bigger goals can seem overwhelming. But it’s important to take consistent, daily action on them in order to make progress. Don’t keep putting them off because they’ll never get done!

For example: If you have a huge goal that you want to accomplish in a year, think about what you need to do each month, each week, and each day to work towards that goal.

Use the Goal Breaker worksheet in the Goal Planner to break down each of your bigger goals into smaller tasks. (Print multiple copies of this sheet if you need to). Fit those smaller tasks into your monthly/weekly/daily plan.

Plan your months, weeks, and days

Make an overall plan of action for each goal. Then, set aside some time every day to write out your plan for that day. Take a few minutes to do this every morning or the night before.

Again, when you’re making your daily plan, it helps to prioritize the things that need to get done each day. Besides your personal goals, there are of course other things that need to get done – like appointments and your household duties. So be sure to fit those in. You should have things that “must” get done, things that “should” get done, and things you’d “like to get done”. Start with your “must dos” first and move on from there when you’re making your daily plan. Use the Daily Goals worksheets in the Goal Planner to make your daily plan.

I recommend working in 1-2 hour blocks, with breaks for your sanity. Schedule your most difficult tasks at the time that you’re most productive during the day. Minimize distractions the best you can. And be sure to schedule more time than you think you’ll need for each task, to account for the unexpected (especially if you’ve got kids!). It also helps to build in some time each week to catch up on the things you had planned but weren’t able to get done.

I also use my Living Well Planner to put everything in one place, once I’m done with my planning. It also has awesome tips for organizing and crushing your goals. You can check out my review of the Living Well Planner (and why I think it’s the best planner for busy moms) here.

Stay motivated

Getting back on track with your goals and actually making progress on them is all about commitment and consistency. Accomplishing a goal can be motivation in itself – even if its a small one. Stay focused on the goal itself and the reward that comes with accomplishing it.

Turn someone you trust into your accountability partner. Tell them all about your goals, so they can help to keep you on track. You’re more likely to stay on track if you have someone holding you accountable.

If you need a little more motivation, reward yourself along the way. Of course, this doesn’t have to be something big each time. It could be a special meal or dessert, a mani/pedi (when it’s safe to go out), a bubble bath, a new outfit, etc. Anything that’ll keep you motivated to keep going!

Take care of yourself

With motivation in mind, I want you to remember to take care of yourself. Squeeze in some self-care into your schedule. Even if that means waking up earlier or going to sleep later than everyone else (this may also be the best time for you to get some work done). Get enough rest (ideally 7 hrs/day) eat as healthy as possible, drink enough water, exercise when you can, and do something fun to “de-stress” on a regular basis. Intentionally plan some “me time” into your schedule so that you can truly relax and not worry about other tasks you should be doing. You can’t accomplish your goals or make it too far if you aren’t physically and mentally well.

Don’t be too hard on yourself

Believe me, I know how hard things are right now. There’s still a lot of uncertainty. So, if things are pretty rough for you right now and you’re in “survival mode”, don’t sweat it. It’s OK to put things on pause for as long as you need to. You have to keep your sanity. You have to keep your family healthy and whole.

Start small if you have to.

I want you to be intentional and set aside time for getting back on track with your goals everyday. Having a plan of action each day helps you to be more productive, actually get things done, and make progress towards your goals. As women, we tend to get so wrapped up in taking care of everyone else that our own goals and desires get put to the side and forgotten about – sometimes for years. So, it’s time to be more proactive and consistent. Time to get things done so you can keep moving forward! Are you with me?!

Do you have any other tips for getting back on track with your goals? I’d love to hear them! Leave them in the comments below!

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If you love these tips, be sure to check out my 170+ page digital library, filled with step-by-step instructions and  the tools you need to create effective routines, manage your time, prepare meals,  clean your home, care for your kids – and so much more!