I am obsessed with goal setting. I love setting goals and working back to create steps to hit those goals. Planning and organization are 2 of my strengths. In the past, I would set monthly goals to reach my goals by December. Essentially breaking it down into smaller more manageable pieces. It got very repetitive for me and I usually gave up. Someone recommended The 12 Week Year to me to read. I purchased both the book and the workbook. To be honest, it did take me a while to get through it all. Reading this book changed how I view goal setting and how I am doing things in 2023.
Cliff notes version of this book is every 12 weeks is ONE year. Each day is equivalent to a week. Each week is a month. So instead of thinking of things you want to accomplish in 12 months, you think about it in 3 months. It’s about being hyper-focused on things that you want to accomplish. Each week you check in with yourself to see how you are doing and rate yourself on how you are doing towards the goals. It’s holding you more accountable each day. The author suggested you plan your ideal day and create different times to accomplish different things. The one thing that I am working on implementing is only checking my email twice a day. Embarrassingly, I reach for my phone way too much. Usually, nothing has really changed. It has been a habit that I have created that I want to change.
This is going to be the first time I am doing The 12 Week Year. I attempted it last year, but I didn’t follow through. I have spent the last week prepping for my next 12 weeks. I created my ideal week and the things that I want to accomplish. I got a digital planner and updated everything each week for the next 12 weeks to be as impactful as possible.
First 12 Week Goals
My first 12-week goals are going to be very simple, but I feel lay the foundation for the future. I am super excited to implement a new lifestyle to reach the goals and dreams that I have had in my head for so long. I am not setting very many goals to start because I don’t want to overwhelm myself. If you try to change too much too quickly you fail. I have learned this lesson over and over.
Goal 1: Workout Daily
My goal is to work out daily in some capacity. I consider a workout anytime you are moving your body. Some days it might be structured workouts, and some days will be stretching and active recovery. I have already lost 10 lbs in the last few weeks, so I am wanting to continue that to get to my ideal weight. I don’t have a specific number but more of a range. I’m going to listen to my body and do what feels good. I am also trying not to get hung up on the number on the scale over how I feel in my body.
The plan is to do strength training 3-4 times per week, cardio 4-5 times per week, and mobility/stretching 1-2 times per week. I do some sort of stretching and mobility every day, but to focus only that will be once or twice a week. I love doing mobility work because I am so tight all over my body, so I see changes almost immediately. I had a goal a few years ago to do the splits then I gave up on it. Now I am working on it again. I think being able to do the splits will show me that I can stretch out my hamstrings and hip strengthening. Again, I sit all day for work and have to make a conscious effort to move hourly.
Goal 2: Build habits to live the life I want to live.
I know that this might sound super generic to others but to me, it isn’t. For so long I have felt like I was settling or going through the motions. I hate that feeling, and I want a change. I tried to live the life that I want but that gave me so much anxiety and set me up to fail because I couldn’t reach that goal. I couldn’t sustain that mentality long-term. So I changed my mindset and focused on being in the moment and working on being 1% better each day. Working on changing some habits small and consistently. I have a morning and evening routine finalized. I am still tweaking my ideal schedule.
How will I know I am successful?
For the first 12 weeks, I am starting small. I am starting with the foundation and then building on top of that each 12 weeks. I have been a huge goal-setter and planner my whole life. I have worked through tons of different strategies. It has been a long time coming on knowing what works for me and what doesn’t work. For the time being, I am focused on being in the moment and embracing where I am at and not looking forward to the future.
At the end of the 12 weeks, I will know that I am successful with goal #1 of losing weight. If I have continued to lose weight and feel more comfortable and confident in my own body. I have a routine in place of alternating weeks weighing myself and taking measurements. Also how I fit in my clothes will play a huge factor. I am using a variety of different techniques because I know if I only focus on the numbers on the scale it will cause more damage than be helpful.
On goal #2, I will know that I am successful if I am living more true to my ideal schedule. I will not be so connected to my phone for mindless scrolling. I will be on my phone for a moment to accomplish a goal or a task then be done. I will also be doing more of the things that I want to do. I don’t want to give up everything I like to do like watching The Challenge or Chicago, but I want to be more productive with my life. I want to feel like I am living with a purpose and a plan. I may not know my purpose right now, but I am working each day for more clarity on it.
