"Lengthen Your Stride"

This counsel taught by President Spencer W. Kimball encourages us to do more. Not to just "run faster" but to "run smarter" (a changed up excerpt from the January 2008 Ensign). Obviously, he wasn't meaning we all need to dust off our treadmills or get out our cold weather running gear. This profound bit of counsel applies to every single aspect of our lives.

January, the new year, tends to be an overwhelming time for me. While in the process of taking down the holiday decor and trying to put my home back together, my mind is reeling with goals I want to achieve in the coming year.

*Weight Loss... a given (are there people out there who don't have this on their list of things to accomplish this year?).

*Read scriptures/personal prayer daily... always room for improvement.

*Declutter and organize my home... my slight OCDness makes this one especially hard because my mind demands perfection. Plus, my little apartment does not afford us much space. Even when it is clean it "looks" cluttered.

*Daily Exercise... exer-what?

*Keep in better touch with family and friends throughout the year... our families are so big that this one is extremely overwhelming. Then to add all our wonderful "long, lost" friends to that list?? Phew!!! It makes my head spin. (I actually miss my "long, lost" friends. How long is "too long" when reconnecting with friends? The answer to that question is another whole post.)

*Write in my journal. In particular, record special moments with my daughter... every moment is worth a journal entry. How can I possibly keep up?! I'm even a SAHM!

Anyway, you get the idea. It's so overwhelming that I just ignore it all. This week for example. On Sunday I decided that this week I would work on going to bed at a good time. What's a good time you ask? Before midnight is good for me. I am such a night owl! However, that's cheating a little bit. I actually want to be in bed, lights out (not reading or playing my DS), by 10:00pm. If I go to bed any later then that I wont feel like getting up at 6:00am to go walking/running (another goal). So, LOOK AT THE TIME!!! It is 12:46 in the AM!!! What am I doing?! It's like I have to be that defiant child. "See! I can stay up past 10:00pm!" Dumb...

So, now that I have gotten that off my chest, lets talk turkey. How do you ensure success in goal setting and then in goal achievement? I am very familiar with the 7 Habits, but they some how don't work for me. Or maybe I don't allow them to work for me...

I admire those who can set goals and follow through. Like deciding to run a marathon and then doing the training to get you there. Or deciding to read The Book of Mormon and then following your outlined plan.

What's the secret?