Taking a Chance on 2021 Goal Setting

When you make plans, God laughs.

It was a saying I heard a lot growing up and one that had never been rendered more true in 2020. We all had a lot of plans go sideways. Who am I to even try to set goals and make plans in 2021? Didn’t I learn my lesson this past year?

Apparently not.

But I’m not making resolutions this year but goals. I feel like resolutions are really fuzzy intentions with no real way to measure them or hold yourself accountable. Goals have a finish line and more purpose.

So, what are mine?

Read 30 books

I ended up reading about 24 1/2 (yes I am counting that half!) books this year despite having considerably less free time than normal at home this year. I am optimistic that this year will be a little more stable and provide more opportunity for rhythm. Reading is something I have control over. It helps build a muscle, see other points of view and learn something new.

I don’t want to just read…but read widely. Take in various points of view, even ones that I may not agree with. I want to read biographies, business books, faith books and even some fiction.

All open to recommendations! Let me know of any must-reads for the coming year.

Run 500 Miles

I ran just over 350 miles this year and want to up my game a bit more this year. The first part of 2020 didn’t see a lot of miles and I was quick to take the day off if I wasn’t feeling it. I became more consistent on the back half of this year when I finally learned that I didn’t need to be competitive to enjoy a run. There’s a lot of mental health value in the exercise.

Also, maybe I picked 500 miles so I could sing this song contextually for the next year.

Average 10,000 Steps a Day

This one will probably be the most difficult, especially during the work week. I know some days I won’t hit it. Some days I’ll hit way over. As long as I can average 10k a day for the year, it’ll be a success. I’ll need to incorporate other healthy habits (walking the dog, not being glued to my desk chair, etc) to be successful.

Journal Twice a Week (on average)

Journaling has been a great way to just dump thoughts out of my head somewhere. It’s never great to keep stress bottled up. Journaling isn’t pretty and I learned that this year. I want to do a better job of not only processing what’s going on in my life but also documenting what happens. Celebrating good things and not only venting about the bad. Building this muscle should have positive ripple effects elsewhere.

Also, if you’re curious, I use this cloud based journal here.

What Are Your Goals?

Want do you want to accomplish this year? What from 2020 helped you frame your goals? How can I help? I’d love to hear from you!