SMART Planning

Hey guys! How are ya? Things here are improving. Since breaking my toe about two weeks ago, I am now able to walk again! I am slow and have a bit of a limp, but I am mobile! Can I tell you how stinkin' happy that makes me? It is true what they say, you really don't appreciate something until it's gone. Right now I appreciate the ability to walk WITHOUT crutches.

Anyway, enough about my toe. LOL. So the past few days I've been drawing a blank on what to write about next and I had to remember what is my main goal: to focus on reaching my dreams. The first step for me was writing them down, but if you write them down and then forget about them, they're pretty much as good as the paper they're written on. So what do I do next? Plan! Remember the saying "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

For me, I make plans all the time, but I struggle with sticking to them. Part of the issue is I don't write them down, so I usually end up forgetting the plan and even the goal I was striving towards. Another issue is I don't make SMART goals as I plan. Many of you, have probably heard of this before, but so few of us actually use it, especially me! I'm hoping by writing down my plans and using the SMART method, I will get closer to my dreams!

Specific- I use the 5 W's to help me get a specific goal: Who? What? When? Where? Why? 

Measurable- Your goal needs to be able to be measured. Can you answer the questions how much or how many?

Attainable- Is your goal realistic? Sometimes you may not have to change the goal, just how you will get there or how long it will take.

Relevant- Does this goal match up with the overall mission?

Time Bound- What is the time frame? What is your target date? What can you do today?

That last question is the one I think I forget about the most. I get so overwhelmed by everything that has to be done, that I don't do anything. So what can I do today? I'm going to make SMART goals towards reaching my dreams and actually write them down this time. Wish me luck!

Broken Toe Dreams

Hey guys! So as you can see it's been a while since I've posted. I originally wanted this blog to be about decorating on a budget, but I've found I'm not all that passionate about that particular subject. I like to read alllllllll about it, but actually doing it and then blogging about it... not so much. So I'm turning this blog into a blog about me, my dreams and making them come true! :) Here is where the broken toe comes in. I know what you're thinking, how can a broken toe and my life dreams possibly be connected. Do I sit around dreaming of broken toes? Or dream of breaking a toe? No. I promise I'm not THAT crazy.

Exactly a week ago, I broke my toe. My first broken bone ever and I've been forced to sit and rest while it heals. I am on crutches and they slow me waaaaaaaay down. If you know me personally, you must know how very hard this is on me. I don't just sit. Maybe I'll take a break for a day every now and then, but not much longer than that. I'm very goal oriented. I always need to be striving towards something. With a broken toe, that has halted all my striving. It's hard to sit. I've had A LOT of time to sit... and think.

With all this thinking, I realized I needed to do something. I can't walk, so any physical activity is not really an option, but I can put my mind to good use. Right before all this happened, I started a dream book. My own little notebook where I write down my dreams and at least a start of a plan to get to them. Some of them I'm not quite ready to share with the world, but there is one in particular... writing. Oddly enough, writing was not one of the dreams I wrote in my Dream Book. But in my many thoughts over the past week, I started thinking about what I was passionate about, what I enjoyed doing, what was really important to me. Writing is one of those things. I haven't written much lately, so my skills are a little rusty, but when I was younger it was something I would do for fun. I wrote short stories, attempted long novels, and even dabbled in poetry. I have a folder tucked away somewhere with a collection of my writings. Someday I may pull it out and share some of it with you, but for now I want to focus on writing in my blog.

I have to admit, just this one entry is freeing. Even if no one reads this, it feels good to get my thoughts out. It feels real good. And to end on a totally random tangent... What is the big freaking deal about shark week? In the past I've never been able to watch it and was always jealous because people would go on and on about how awesome it was. With the broken toe I've been able to catch ALL of it and it gets old really fast. It's the same story, shark attacks human, human narrowly survives to tell the tale and the only difference from one show to the next is the type of shark and the name of the human. ARGH!!!! Sorry to all you out there that just lurve shark week, but I personally can't wait for it to be over. :)