Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Tracking

Tags

Achievement, Adjusting, calendars, Goals, K.M. Allan, measurable, Measuring, Progress, todo apps, Tracking

I’m huge on tracking my work and results. One of the motivating things about tracking the books you read, the blog posts you’ve put up, the exercises you do, is that these things are measurable. I try to set my goals this way, because I can track and measure my progress. Tracking your results, particularly if they are goal-oriented, is key to achieving anything.

If you want to lose weight, you have to track what you’re eating and what you’re doing for exercise. There is no other way. At least we haven’t figured out one. Ever notice how many weight-loss apps, food tracking apps, and all the rest are out there? It’s because you have to track things to see how you are doing. Make sense?

So today, as you move through your week, take a moment to see what you are measuring and what you are not. It is likely that the things you are not measuring are goals you have set for yourself that can’t be measured–a big no no, if you are trying to improve yourself. This is why I use SMART goals when I set my goals for the year. The M stands for measurable. There is no other way to pursue a meaningful goal. You have to have the capability of measuring it, and YOU have to decide what measures you are looking at. Let’s say you have a goal of reading so many books a year. Easy. Write down that goal and check off a number each time you finish a book. If you want to lose weight, the same thing applies–weigh yourself once a week, and track what you are eating and how much exercise you are doing. Easy-peasy.

The key is selecting goals and determining how you are going to track and measure them from the get-go. If you can easily determine your progress on something, you’ve done it right. If not, you’ll have to tweak your goals so you really know what you are shooting for. One of my goals if blog followers. This is easy to track, because WordPress tells you every day who has followed your blog and how many followers you have. This goal is trackable. The key difference is WordPress does the tracking for you.

I hope this makes sense, folks. Measurable goals are the way to go. It is the only way to truly know where you are making progress or not. When you identify a goal that is not moving or making progress, you can either put more effort into it, or decide to put that goal on hold for a bit. Perhaps you’re no longer motivated by that goal, or perhaps it requires an effort that you just do not want to commit to. The key to all this is to set a measurable goal, track your progress, and adjust your efforts based on your tracking.

One of my friends, K.M. Allan, uses a whiteboard to track all of her writing goals for the week. This is a great system! I am more digital, but the process is the same. You have so many things to do, and you have to have a plan and a way to track your progress. In K.M.’s case, it is merely a way to cross off things as she goes. Then she can reassess herself on the weekend and reset for the upcoming week. So simple—yet so effective. Bravo!

Have a great week, folks.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Outstanding Blogger Award

Tags

Adapt, assignments, Determination, Drive, Eat that Frog, Goals, Improvise, Monday blues, motivation, Outstanding Blogger Award, Overcome, tasks

1. What has blogging added to your life? It has opened up a creative channel for my writing and allowed me to connect with people all across the globe, some of which are now friends.
2. Share the link for one of your favorite blog posts that you have written. I have a lot of favorites, but this is one I liked writing: https://wordpress.com/post/gardner1015.wordpress.com/737.
3. If you were stuck in the house for the entire weekend due to a snowstorm, what would you do with your time? I would read, write, learn, exercise, and play video games. Pretty much what I do now.
4. What household chore do you most enjoy, and what do you least enjoy? I enjoy vacuuming. I think it’s because of the repetition and movement. I dislike dusting.
5. What did you learn from surviving 2020? I learned you don’t need a lot of things cluttering up your life. Keep it simple. Stay busy, have a plan, and execute the plan. Adapt, adjust, improvise. Covid threw some of my goals in 2020 out the window, but I adapted to overcome what Covid threw at me.

tierneycreates recommended me for this award and I thank her for the opportunity to answer the above questions and highlight her blog. If you like crafts and quilting, she’s a great source of information.

Well, folks. It’s Monday. What will you do this week? Are you on track with your goals? Do you have any high-pressure tasks that have to be done? How do you feel?

Mondays are all about mindset. It is resetting yourself from “me” time on the weekend, to “we” time at the office wherever that is. It’s about getting into work mode, pushing aside the dread we can sometimes get about going back to work, and attacking our projects, goals, and assignments with vigor.

I ease into my work week with a daily set of goals and tasks that never change, unless I change them. Writing a blog post like this is one of them. What types of tasks do you like doing? What ones do you dread? I start my day with whatever is the hardest. This habit is called “eating the frog”. Eating a frog is used to designate those tasks that are distasteful or cause us the most angst. By knocking out the stuff we don’t want to do, the rest of the day becomes a downhill slide when that task is completed. So today, grab the reins of that one thing you dread doing and GET THAT THING DONE. The rest of your day will be a piece of cake once it’s over.

Have a great Monday, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Why 2% Succeed and the Rest don’t!

Tags

attainable, Get it, Goals, Happy Monday!!, measurable, motivation, move forward, Push, realistic, specific, time limit, YouTube

I hope this inspires you as much as it did me. Have a great week, folks!

Workout Routine:

Full body workouts (exercise bands) Mon – Friday

Get at it, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Here we go!

Tags

Achievement, Categories, Consistency, Goals, Plans, processes, rituals

Hopefully, you’ve put together your goals for the year and have plans, processes, and rituals in place to guarantee your success. What if you haven’t done that yet? No worries. Start simple, if this is all new to you.

I like to pick goals within categories like physical, mental, spiritual, and social.

Physical – lose 10 pounds by year’s end

Mental – read 12 books by year’s end

Spiritual – meditate once a day for 10 minutes

Social – post uplifting quotes and materials to social media 1 x weekly

These are just examples, but easy to do. One thing I’ve learned about consistent small actions every day is that they build into big things. When I started this process for myself a few years ago, I could have never predicted I would read 60 books in a year. This is what happens when you read a little each day. Now 60 books is no issue. This works for anything you aspire to. Pick some goal, and chop away at it a little bit each day. You’ll be there in no time.

Now get at it! The year’s young. Get your goals in place, put together the daily things you need to do to hit your milestones, and get at it. It’s not too late to set yourself up for success in 2021.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Getting Back At It

Tags

December, Getting back on track, Goals, Gratitude, habits, Recharging, Relax time, Sharpening the Saw, Thanks

Today, I’m thankful for the month of December. This is a month where I shut down all the stuff I’m doing for a few weeks, and just chill out. I get caught up on movies I’ve wanted to watch, but didn’t have time. I play some video games (my hobby), and I enjoy all the great food and rest.

Now that December is over, it’s time to get back at it. I must admit that it is slow going. I am knocking out most of my tasks daily, but have let a few go by the wayside. I’ll be back on track soon. Only a few more tweaks here and there, and I’ll be rockin’ and rollin’.

For those of you who are also having a hard time getting back on track, just take it easy. You’ve put some thought into your goals for 2021. If something isn’t in alignment with what you thought, get rid of it. The key to achieving our goals is to pursue goals we really want to pursue. Take sometime to weed those out that just are “ready” yet.

Well, folks, that’s all I got for today.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – It’s a New Year

Tags

Achievement, Determination, Goals, Innovation, Learning, lockdowns, motivation, New Year, persistance

I’m back after a nice vacation toward the end of December. I hope all of you had a pleasant time during the holiday season. We had a little get together with my sister and her boyfriend. The meals were terrific.

It’s that time again to list out my goals for the year. Here we go:

Physical

Exercise daily

Learning

Finish Masters in Sociology

Learn Excel

Learn Marketing

Learn Statistics and various diagrams

Learn Digital Advertising

Learn Python

Learn Graphic Design

Financial

Add 1200.00 to my savings by year’s end

Pay off dental bill by year’s end

Spiritual

Finish 12 ECK discourses

Run 9 Book Discussions

Run 1 Sound of Soul event

Develop 1 Digital Report to be used by me for Vahana reports each month

Learn about Facebook advertising and test it in the Thumb area by year’s end

Spiritual Exercise 2x 365 days

Gratitude Journal 365 days

Read Bible 365 days

Reading

Read 60 books in 2021

Writing

Build followers to 1100 by year’s end

Finish and Post 250 Blog Posts

Follow 200 new Blogs this year

Begin a new non-fiction book (fiction writing is on hold for the time being)

Social

Write 52 letters to my wife

Post poetry and Quotes  365 times this year

Interact and make friends playing Call of Duty

Hobbies (Call of Duty Gaming)

Diamond out Submachine guns

Diamond out shotguns

Diamond out launchers

Diamond out knife

Diamond out Sniper Rifles

Diamond out Pistols

Learn Combined Arms Maps

This is my list of goals for the year. Note: I have planned no face-to-face or location goals at all, since it is highly likely intermittent lockdowns will continue, particularly as the COVID virus mutates. There is already a new strain in the US.

Get at it, folks! It’s a new year. You’ll see some new content types this year on my blog. I like changing up this blog from time to time because it makes it interesting for me and I would like to find more ways to entertain and serve you in 2021. We’ll see how it goes.

Have a great year all!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Final Stretch of 2020

Tags

2021, Covid, family, Friends, Goals, Holidays, Planning, Recharging, Relax

As we approach the end of the year, I take some time to myself and review the current year and begin thinking about all the things I want to accomplish in 2021. Some of my friends think things will return to normal next year. I’m a little more pessimistic. I think many companies, organizations, and people have realized that with nasty bugs like COVID hanging around out there, we will not be able to conduct our lives the same way again. Change is inevitable. We all have to adapt, whether we like it or not. So as you make your 2021 plans, set your goals, and get your calendars set up, keep in mind that you may face many more interruptions and lockdowns, should this virus take another weird turn.

This will be the last week of posts for the year, as I move into holiday mode and take some time off from blogging to get myself aligned with my new set of goals in 2021. So, this Thursday will be my last post of 2020.

This week, if you haven’t already, take a look at what you’ve done this year. What goals did you hit? What goals did you miss? Did you miss your goals because you set the bar too high, weren’t motivated enough to push through to the finish line, or did COVID get in the way? If you’re not motivated enough to hit a goal, rethink why you set the goal in the first place. Did you really want to achieve it, or did you set the goal because you thought it was what you should do?

When I set goals, I think about what it will take to accomplish them. Do I really have the time? Do I really enjoy doing what that goal requires. If either answer is no, don’t set the goal. Do something else. Use contingency planning when setting your goals for the year. What happens if we get locked down again? What happens if I get sick? What happens if the resources I need to accomplish this goal become unavailable?

I’m assuming we will see a few more lockdowns in the upcoming months, depending on how quickly the vaccine is distributed to the public. With that in mind, my goals are going to concentrate on the things I am in 100% control of, regardless of lockdowns or no lockdowns.

Folks, it’s that time of year to enjoy family, friends, and relax a bit. If you’re like me, you’ve been working your tail off this year, pursuing your dreams and desires. For me, it’s a well-deserved break.

With that, I bid you adieu.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Lockdowns, again??

Tags

2021, Adapt, adjust, Covid, Goals, Improvise, Innovate, lockdowns, Overcome, Persist

If you’re in the U.S., you know we’re experiencing lockdowns again across the country. Michigan is on a 3-week lockdown as we speak. I hope all of you are safe and sound. Like anything in life, however, we have to adapt, improvise, and overcome. This is the month I begin setting my new goals in 2021. No one could have predicted the lockdowns we experienced in 2020, but now that we’ve dealt with them, assume they will be on and off again as the virus keeps reappearing, and the vaccine begins to get to the populations over time.

Lockdowns are great times for reading, writing, learning, exercising in the home, and yes, even socializing. ZOOM, Google Chat, Facebook Messenger’s video chat, are all technologies you can use and they are absolutely free. You even have Facetime on the Apple phone and an equivalent on Android devices. Everything can be accomplished if you put your mind to it, and work through any difficulties.

To compensate for not having a gym, I bought some great exercise bands with handles and door mounts that work really well. The weights range from 3lbs to 400lbs, so there’s no chance that I’ll excel beyond them. I also adjusted my schedule of going to the library and coffee shop each week to work in a different environment to just staying home. The key is to plan accordingly. We were all surprised by the lockdowns, and each of us dealt with this virus in our own way. Now that we know the lay of the land, going forward, we can adjust our goals to align with our new reality.

Like I did last year, I’ll publicly post my goals for 2021 in this forum, as a way of keeping myself accountable. I welcome all of you to do the same as a comment on that post when I get it up. It really does make a big difference when you write down your goals. It brings a whole new level of accountability and responsibility of achieving what you set out to do. If you’ve never had any success with this type of stuff, take it slow. Set three goals that you believe you can achieve with a little above-average effort, and you’ll be on your way.

Have a great Monday, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Spread Your Wings Sunday – Week of December 6, 2020

Tags

2021, challenge, Goals, Planning, SMART acronym, spread your wings Sunday, Sunday

Weekly Challenge: This week’s challenge is to begin working on a rough draft of your yearly goals for 2021. As a reminder, assume you will experience random lockdowns throughout 2021, until the new vaccines are widespread. I read yesterday that vaccines, at least in the U.S., are going to be prioritized to medical personnel, and other front-line first-responders.

Also, as a reminder, use the S.M.A.R.T. acronym. S-specific, M-measurable, A-attainable, R-realistic, T-time bound. This will allow you to gauge your efforts and measure your results. Many of my friends who do not use this end up having difficulty seeing how they are doing or figuring out how to move forward because they are missing one of the key points of this acronym. Try it out.

Here’s an example. One of my goals for 2021 will be to read 60 books by December 31, 2021. This is an example of a SMART goal. It is specific (read 60 books); it is measurable (use the number 60); it is attainable (I read over 70 books this year); it is realistic (5 books in a month), which is easy for me, and it is time bound (by December 31, 2021).

Good luck!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursdays – Setbacks

Tags

Determination, Failures, Goals, Improving, Investigating, Learning, Mistakes, Persistence, Setbacks, Teaching

Why are setbacks so helpful? Why am I grateful for them? I am grateful for setbacks because they are the best teachers. When you try something that you need to do to finish a goal, most of the time you do not know if it will work. So, you take a swing and miss. You learn what not to do, or you learn that you need to learn more about what you are trying to do. Without the setback, you wouldn’t learn something.

I don’t seek them out. I just try something and see if it works. If it doesn’t I begin the work of finding out what other people do, look for tutorials and things like this, practice a little bit, and then give it another shot.

Setbacks, failures, mistakes occur when we try to do something out of our comfort zone or skill set. I’m not talking about stubbing your toe, or dropping something by accident. I’m talking about trying something that you have never done before, but need to do, in order to accomplish something. One of my goals is to write a book, or even a few books. One thing I learned early on, is that I needed more information. So, I interact with other writers, I take courses, and I practice my writing every day. Setbacks, failures, and mistakes are not something to be afraid of.

So today, I’m grateful for setbacks. They have taught me how to do something better. They have helped me realize I don’t know how to do something. They guide me to changing something.

Have a great Thursday!

Until next time…

Dave