Forget your New Year's resolution
Resolutions take time you as a parent likely don't have. Set these goals instead
Can you believe we're already two months into the year? I don't know about you, but for me it feels like it's either flown or crawled by. (I'll get back to you when I figure out which one it is.)
There's a good chance you're evaluating your progress on your New Year's resolution(s). It takes weeks to form a habit, so at this point you've either developed that new healthy habit you wanted, or not. Or you've started making it a daily routine to work on your side project... or not.
That's the problem with New Year's resolutions—they're an all or nothing game. You either check them off your list, or you don't. As a result, resolutions often feel intimidating, especially when you're a parent with limited time.
This is exactly why I don't like New Year's resolutions: they're unrealistic. But, you can't just stagnate for ever, either. So, what are you to do? Scrap resolutions and set micro goals instead.
Think about one thing you want to accomplish, not this year but in general. Now, ask yourself what that accomplishment entails. Next, set tiny, attainable goals that all work toward that larger accomplishment. (Some might call these tiny goals, micro.)
Once you've set your micro goals, make it a point to work on whatever it is you want to do, fifteen minutes a day. Tell yourself you have to do it. It's fifteen minutes. Even the most restless babies leave fifteen minutes in a day. You can do this.
Fifteen minutes might not sound like much, but over time it all adds up. Four days? That's an hour. And that's an hour more than you would have worked on your goal, than if you didn't work on it at all.
Or in the words of my good friend, who launched his own business while raising three kids:
"Startups aren't built from 9am to 5pm.
They are built on your lunch break. Or during a ten-minute reading session before work. Or at 10 o'clock at night when the kids are asleep." - Mike Sims, founder of ThinkLions (Go check him out on YouTube, he's got great advice!)
Parents don't have a lot of time, and as a result it's easy to feel like you're not accomplishing the things you want. This problem's often exacerbated by the fact that we compare ourselves to others and their accomplishments. But, keep this in mind: a good majority of what people share online is bogus. They're leaving out the failures, the late nights, the tears, the stress, and everything else that happens along the journey toward growth.
But, with micro goals you can slowly but surely get to wherever it is you want to go. I used them to rebrand my site and finally launch the publication I've wanted for months. It wasn't easy, and there were late nights, but those goals helped me see it through. And they can help you too.
I know you're tired, the work week's beginning for a lot of you, and you'd likely rather be in bed. It is a Monday, after all. Life's all about perspective, so turn this day into a fresh start, set some micro goals, and start building the you you want your kids to see as they grow up!
Keep on growing, Daddhists.
P.S. Looking for some extra time to work on your goals? Skip that next camping trip with these terrible excuses!