I'm not sure where this post is going. It could end up being a list of resolutions I swore I wasn't going to make. Or it could end up being worthy of submitting to the Write Away Contest that I noticed Misc Mum had made a contribution to today. Or quite possibly neither. Let's see what happens. (Note to self: bad start in the setting of goals department!)

I had determined that today was to be the First Day of the rest of my ... year (well der!) Our 'goals' for the first two weeks of January - with The Breadwinner being on leave for two weeks - came undone. Thank you respiratory infection (mine), crummy beach weather, and dislocated shoulder (his). Back to work for him today. As we lay in bed last night, contemplating sadly what we hadn't achieved during his leave, I opined "Well, it wasn't action-packed like we planned, but at least it was Restful." Silver lining? Or moving the goalposts retrospectively? As we can't turn back time, all we can do is look to the future.

I am almost better (despite starting a repeat course of antibiotics yesterday) and so today seemed like the obvious day to start again. To revise the goals for the year, and start work on achieving them. NOW.

Goals, goals, goals. What are they? Short-term aims? Long term aims? They are just pie in the sky ideas, or virtuous but vague resolutions of the kind made over a champagne or three, without a realistic plan of attack. As I strode up the beach this morning (ticking off in my mind one thing off my 'to-do' list, and mulling over "Goals") I recalled the theory from my Recreation Programming units at college. Teachers will know what I am talking about. Project Managers surely will too.

If I recall the theory correctly, you need Aims and Objectives. Aims (or Goals - for the purposes of this post) are the general things you are aiming for at the end of your lesson/project/unit... But then you need Objectives, which specify various steps/actions which in the end will lead you to fulfilling your goal.

Goals have more vague time frames - short term/long term.

Objectives are more specific with time, but as our first 2 weeks of this year have demonstrated, they need to be flexible. To work around interruptions like kids, accidents, health, weather, etc.

OK. There's the theory. But can I make it work? Or will I get bogged down in the detail, and subplots? I swore I was making but one Resolution/goal this year, and that was to lose weight (I lied. There are a range of other things I want to change or get on top of, but I am going to try very hard to focus on this one, and hope there is worthy spinoff. Don't ask me if that's a goal or objective, I don't really know).

Here we go:

Tracey's Goal for 2007:

• To lose 10kg and get fit for the Big Ride (a 9-day, 500km bike ride) in March.

Sub-goal:

• Lose 1 kg per month.

Objectives (or how I am going to make that work; wishful thinking is not allowed):

• Exercise: Every day. Half hour walk each morning. Bike ride every second day. Make appointment with trainer, and invest approx $100 in 3 or 4 private sessions before hopefully joining a group class.
• Eating: More fruit. More vegetables. More multigrain. More 'low GI' choices. Less fat. Less sugar. Less alcohol.
• Write post about how to set these goals and objectives. (Hmmm.. slipped that one in, do you think anyone will notice?)

Ah there.. I am finding goals within objectives, and objectives within goals, and potential sub-objectives (like how the hell to drink less alcohol) and I am basically tying myself in knots. I knew this wasn't going to be as easy as I thought, and I also have to keep pushing away the other goals and resolutions crowding into my conscience (ok, ok, it's getting on top of the brothel that is my house.. now shut up!) It's a start though, and it is open to revision, and further detail.

I have one other objective to list, and it's a one-size fits all variety. It's not new. It's something I already know. It's something you already know. And unless your primary goal is to spend all day blogging or reading blogs, you know what it is.

• Get up, push away the chair, and walk away. Walk away from the computer. And go and do all those other things that you have listed in your objectives.

Wish me luck. And good luck to you. We probably all need it.

(And look! Without even trying I have written a post about 'Goals'. )

Labels: introspection, Resolution