The week leading up to the Relevant Conference went well. There was a LOT to do, but we survived and everything at the Relevant Conference went really well.
However, I came home exhausted, behind on sleep, and travel-weary. We jumped back into homeschooling last week and I made sleep a priority, but everything else in my life was chaotic and messy–as evidenced by the fact that I couldn’t even find my dress shoes on Sunday morning!
And very uncharacteristically, I didn’t set goals–which was a big mistake. In fact, I realized just how much momentum I lose when I don’t put written goals on paper for the week. I felt like I was aimless and going around in circles.
So, I’m re-energized in this whole goal-setting thing and am hoping to really be intentional about implementing more discipline and good habits in my life over the next few weeks. I’m going to blog my personal 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life beginning today in an effort to be publicly accountable for developing more discipline in my life. Look for my first post and practical application this afternoon.
Here’s an update on my goals from two weeks ago:
Family/Mothering Goals
1. Read Did You Carry the Flag Today, Charley? aloud to the children.2. Make Johnny Cakes with the children.
3. Wrap some fun surprises for the children to open while I’m at Relevant.Personal Goals
4. Finish reading EntreLeadership, He Heard Hannah, Kisses from Katie, Getting Things Done, and
In Search of Balance.
5. Get 8 hours of sleep Sunday through Wednesday nights (in preparation for short nights at Relevant).
6. Take extra Vitamin C. (Last year, I came back from Relevant and was sick for almost a week, so I’m trying to make sure I’m well-rested and all “vitamined-up” this year so that I can hopefully avoid getting sick!)
Home Management Goals
7. Get all the laundry done and the house clean before I leave.8. Make homemade ranch dressing (my friend made a mix up for me. I’ll share the recipe later this week.)
Business Goals
9. Attend/speak at the Relevant conference.
10. Host a reader meet-up in Harrisburg, PA for around 50 local readers.
And here are this week’s goals:
Family/Mothering Goals
1. Read Little Town On the Prairie aloud to the children.
2. Take pictures of the children with our just-hatched chicks every day for the photo book I’m doing of our chick-hatching experience.
3. Put together Operation Christmas Child boxes with the children.
Personal Goals
4. Finish reading EntreLeadership, He Heard Hannah, Kisses from Katie, Getting Things Done, and Becoming a Woman of Influence.
5. Go to bed early and get up early, as part of my 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life Challenge (more on that in a few hours).
6. Run 10 miles.
Home Management Goals
7. Do at least one load of laundry from start to finish every week day.
8. Make homemade Shower Cleaner.
Business Goals
9. Email all bloggers who are reviewing my book when it releases.
10. Write daily posts for the 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life series.
How did you do on last week’s goals? What are your goals for this week? I’d love to have you share your progress on last week’s goals and your goals for this coming week in the comments. Of, if you’ve blogged about it, leave your direct link below. Let’s cheer each other on to live purposeful and productive lives!
You can download a free customizable weekly goal-planning sheet here.
Kelly Cain says
This whole goals thing has really made me get a move on! As a new momma, I’ve found that having a list helps me to think in an organized way about my time instead of just letting it slip by.
Kristen says
Not only am I writing my goals on my blog, I’m printing them and taping them above my computer. I need all the help I can get to keep me accountable. Looking forward to the discipline series! Thanks Crystal.
Heather W says
With the holidays beginning, this list is getting longer and longer. Anyone else noticing their lists doing that, too?
Amie says
Your new series sounds great! I can’t wait to read it!
Carol@simple_catholic says
I’ve never heard of the Operation Child Christmas box. Glad I’m just in time to participate!
Amy S says
Kisses From Katie is so inspiring! I discovered her blog a while ago and read for hours to catch up on all previous posts. I’m excited to read her book too!
Carolynn @ mylittlebitoflife.com says
My mom is going to come and visit in December (yea. it’s been a year and a half since I’ve seen her!) This is giving me some much needed motivation to GET STUFF DONE. I have already sat down with my calendar and planned what areas of the house to focus on each week. Hopefully I can stay the course!
This week:
1.) finish reading Bringing Up Boys (due back to the library this week)
2.) one load of laundry each day
3.) finish upstairs living room cleaning/organizing and start on craft area (oh my!)
4.) blog
5.) delete e-mails
Crystal says
I hope you have a wonderful visit with your mom!
Allison says
Crystal,
I cannot wait for your posts on 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life. I want to grow in this area so badly! This new wife has a lot to learn from you! Thanks for all you do!
Love in Christ,
Allison
Lesley says
I use the same shower cleaner all the time and not only to clean my shower. I also use it on my counters, cabinets, floors, windows, sinks, toilets, etc; basically on everything. I don’t mind the smell of vinegar and its cheap! Only cleaner I need other than peroxide for whitening the toilets.
Leslie Barton says
Crystal,
I am really looking forward to your series on how to be more self-disciplined. This is an area I have really been struggling in lately, everything from time management to diet and exercise to my daily devotional time.
Thank you for having your readers on your mind so much!
Leslie
Catie says
I have found that on super chaotic weeks, I feel much better about myself if I write down goals that are really just things I already do every day. Getting to mark ‘take a shower’ off of the list can make me feel successful when the stress is high.
Chanda says
I totally agree!
Trish @ Finances With Funk says
I finally went and got our shoeboxes on Saturday evening so I can start pulling out of the cupboard what I already have picked up and what we still need to go get.
Last year was the first year that I paid for the labels online and got a tracking label with an e-mail of where our boxes went. It was really cool to be able to read that e-mail to the kids and watch the video from that region. Totally reinforced the concept for the kids. I love it.
Julie says
Just a thought – if you have tile in your shower, vinegar breaks down the grout in between the tiles. I used to make my own vinegar shower cleaner until I found this out! (I still use my vinegar/water/tea tree oil for counter tops and my laminate kitchen floor, just not tile).
Beth says
I have heard/read that regular use of vinegar on grout breaks it down… So I use my vinegar spray (50/50 vinegar/water) on counters, sinks, outside of toliets, finger prints off of doors, windows and mirrors. Baking soda and liquid soap for tile areas where easy to spray or a little more scrubbing required. Does anyone have another homemade solution for croutes areas?
Carrie @ My Favorite Finds says
Yay! I’m so glad to see you’re wanting to read Becoming a Woman of Influence. I love it…I hope you glean some insight, too.
Pam H says
Like you, I feel off the goal setting wagon last week – and I really felt it. Here’s to a better outcome this week!
Jenny says
I’m also looking forward to reading the 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life series. Thanks for hosting the link up and for all the hard work you do here on your blog!
Jenny says
My first link was messed up, so I reposted it. I don’t know if you want to delete the first link-up (#21). Sorry for the error and any extra work it causes.
Kimberly says
I too did not put together my goals last week. I think I was discouraged that I did not mark much off from the week before.
This week, I only put down on paper 5 goals. I hope this will allow me to have more ‘check-marks’ and less anxiety for an incomplete list.
I am looking forward to your new series! Thank you for helping us all stay on track and focused.
Crystal says
Great idea to stick with five goals. It’s better to have a smaller list and get through some of it. Then a big list that just overwhelms you!
Trish @ Finances With Funk says
Kimberly, I am a major planner but have found myself the last few weeks still feeling accomplished at the end of the week but not hitting my target on my goal list. There are times in my life the structure keeps me on task but I know I am missing the real task I am supposed to be accomplishing. 🙂
Sometimes we have to evaluate if something else got done that actually ended up being more important than what we originally planned in the first place. Take a look back over your list and think about what you could replace with other things you did get done that weren’t there in the first place.
Elise says
Thanks so much for the link-up. I love reading other people’s goals and getting ideas from what they’re doing 🙂
Anna Hettick says
I love these weekly goal link ups. Makes me more likely to actually make a list and then I get so much more done!
Michelle Peoples says
Thanks for being so honest about the times your week doesn’t go as planned, or maybe you drop the ball a little. It keeps me from trying to “measure up” to perfection. I have also started writing out weekly goals and it has really helped to focus my energy and time on certain things instead of feeling like a kid with ADD! My week tends to be more fruitful and my home more organized. Thanks, again!
Carrie Bergherm says
Just posted my list above… I enjoy reading what other people put down as their weekly goals. I learn about other activities that I could be doing – and having my own list allows me to put it down in writing so I can remember to try it out. For instance, seeing that you read books out loud to your kids reminds me to do that with my boys. Thanks to everyone who shares their goals – it not only helps you, it helps others too!
Becky says
In regards to your weekly laundry goal, it uses less energy to do sequential loads. Your dryer will work faster by taking advantage of the residual heat from the prior load. So maybe two loads every other day would save a little? Just an idea.
Becky says
An idea–I was striving for one-load-of-laundry a day, and often found myself staying up a little bit later to fold or not quite putting everything away. So I switched to (most days) putting a load through in the washer, drying, and leaving it there till the next morning, when I fold it and start another. That allows me to get the whole process done earlier in the day more often and I’m more often doing one whole load, finish-to-start.
Trish @ Finances With Funk says
I always start the load right after dinner/baths, then throw in dryer right before I go to bed and fold in the am, then kids all have to take theirs to their rooms and put away their “pile”. It works perfect. With six of us it is rare that we don’t have one load full every day.
Bridgette @ Blessings Multiplied says
Thanks for sharing Crystal and for the link up! Glad to see your getting back on schedule and look forward to reading your 21 Days to a more Disciplined Life.
I finished our Operation Christmas Child boxes this week with the family along with several other items on my goal list! 🙂
FYI: The “Johnny Cakes” link does not seem to be working.
Steph says
Thank you for posting your reading lists….always looking for a good book to read!
Tara says
I’m so excited about your book! I already told my dad that I want it for Christmas even though it will just be pre-ordered. 🙂 My husband and I have a lot of work to do with our finances…
I’ve told so many people about your blog because I love that it’s not just a coupon/freebie blog (although I do love those). It’s so much more than that because you have such encouraging things for those of us that are struggling! Thanks for ALL you do!
Crystal says
You are so welcome. And thank you for your support of my book! That means the world to me!
Amanda says
Hopefully I can accomplish a lot this week too!
Crystal says
Little House on the Prarie would make an awesome read aloud. I loved that book as a child. I may to do that with Reba.
Tammy @ Skinny Mom's Kitchen says
Crystal I am also reading Getting Things Done. He has some great advice in there and has helped me formulate my thoughts to what I need to get done with my own goals.
This week I decided to add my goals onto my weekly menu plan. The goals are more so focusing on healthy living and eating. I found this to be important and necessary in order for me to intentially think about the meals I am planning instead of just throwning together what I have on hand.
Here is a link if anyone is interested http://www.skinnymomskitchen.com/2011/11/07/weekly-menu-plan-november-7th-13th-and-5-healthy-living-goals-for-the-week/
Diane says
I think I’m doing mine wrong. I write down everything we need to get done, like : scrub kitchen floor, plan grocery list, do Bible study, buy groceries. Things that should be getting done regardless, not really anything extra. Does that make sense? I have a couple of extras on there, like make homemade applesauce and we’re putting together our Operation Christmas Child box, too, but my goal list is more of a schedule maybe. I need to tweak this.
Robin from VA says
Diane,
I love the downloaded weekly goal planning sheet. There are seven spaces for seven days. I start with Monday and end with Sunday for the section on the right side. I use mine so I don’t become overwhelmed with my life. I take the time on Sunday to review all the calendars in my life (my daughter’s school, my husband’s work, and my personal one) and combine them all on the goal planning sheet. I have been doing this for several weeks and it has helped me so much. I can focus on the week in front of me and it has relieve some stress for me. I think you have to do what works for you. I include everything from when I want to do laundry, to when I go to Zumba class, to working on bills, cleaning my toilet, 🙂 etc. It has definitely helped me stay focused because I love to be able to cross things off my list and when I get sidetracked, I look at my list and it helps me re-focus on what needs to be done right now when my sidetrack can be done later. Hope this helps and stay encouraged and find what works for you. Have blessed day!
Lucky says
Chicks! How fun!
I made goals last week, but I don’t think I hit any of them except writing for a 1/2 hour each day. I’m blaming it on all our illnesses and moving on.