This summer has been flown by so quickly. And although it turned out a bit differently than I had planned, it has still been pretty amazing. As a family, we had planned to spend a bit more time traveling and hanging out with MIL on Cape Cod. However, Michael’s company was acquired by a new company and he’s spent quite a bit of the summer in various meetings with new coworkers. The sale of the company was an answer to prayer but axed some of our summer plans.
I am please to introduce you to a new monthly series where I’ll be sharing a few things I learned in the previous month and setting goals for the next coming month. Some of my favorite bloggers have done this for quite some time. I’ve done it privately for a few months but would like the extra accountability of publicly sharing my goals.
What I learned in August.
Blog– I learned that evergreen content really works. I know a lot of my blog friends have reported traffic drop offs during the late summer, but my page views are as high as they’ve ever been. I also learned that Facebook’s Platform Policy Updates are going to change the way I’ll need to think about the giveaways I host.
Life– Michael and I celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary. And by celebrated, I mean it was just another normal day and night for us. I was once again reminded that there really is no one else I can imagine doing life with but him. Marriage is hard work and involves constantly communicating with kindness and putting your spouse’s needs before your own.
Motherhood– We celebrated Lola’s first birthday this month. It took celebrating it for me to really see just how beautifully Malone is growing from a preschooler into a little boy. I have tears in my eyes just thinking his transformation. He’s funny, kind, well tempered, and is able to really communicate what he’s feeling. The other night he was very upset (okay throwing a tantrum), but he knew he was really upset and why. Through the tears and short breaths he shouted this cry for help “Mama, I just can’t calm myself down. I need your help!” It is the first time I’ve realized that I was the one who gave him that tool. Motherhood is hard, but equipping tiny humans to grow is even harder.
I love to talk about goals. I love setting them, I love working on them, and I love hitting them. It drives me up a wall though, when people talk about goals that aren’t specific. I set S.M.A.R.T goals. And, I think you should too!
I’m on a mission to change the way we set goals. I’ve asked a few friends what their goals were and instead of saying something specific like lose five pounds before Halloween, they’ve said something like “I want to lose weight.”
I think that’s great but how are you going to make that happen? What’s your target? How are you going to measure your success? By setting a S.M.A.R.T goal, of course!
Wondering what a S.M.A.R.T. goal is? I’ve got the answer for you! And if you have any questions about setting goals, please email me at acookiebeforedinner@gmail.com. I’d love to answer your questions!
S.M.A.R.T. goals are….
- Specific
- Measurable
- Action Based
- Realistic
- Time-bound
My September S.M.A.R.T. goals.
Blog
- Revamp three old posts
- Develop a better system for social media
- Utilize The Influence Network by joining in on the conversation of at least ten forum posts.
- Complete Blog Clarity’s Pinning Perfect e-course
- Sell six blog posts as a virtual assistant
Life
- Go on a date with my husband
- Organize and attend a girls night out
- Send five pieces of snail mail
- Bring home $500.00 in extra income for the month
- Run/walk 40 miles
Motherhood
- Donate, hand down, or sell five totes of clothing, toys, and shoes
- Take Malone on a date
- Wean Lola from her middle of the night bottles (this was a bad habit that started this summer on vacation).
- Complete Lola and Malone’s birthday thank you cards (Malone will help).
- Take a family hike
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Do you set goals? Are they S.M.A.R.T. goals or more of general things you want to do?
Let’s chat about our September goals in the comments below so we can dream together AND hold ourselves accountable.
Loving these goals!!! I may start jumping in on this with you, I would love the accountability! Also, the Malone story made me want to hug you huge. You are a great mama!
Christie Elkins recently posted..back to reality + what is to come.
You should totally play along, Christie! I know we dream about our goals on voxer, but there is something about hitting publish and putting my goals on for all of the world to see that is scary fun!
That’s an awesome list of goals for this month!!! I just finished Pinning Perfect if you want my input. 🙂 Did you sign up yet? I’m excited for your date night and girl’s night! Happy belated Anniversary!
Shelly recently posted..Disney College Program
I’ve already signed up for Pinning Perfect. Instead of going to a fall conference, I am going to invest a bit of money in continuing education. I don’t know that there will be much for me to learn, but I am hoping to do some heavy duty networking in the private Facebook group.
Mike and I are excited for a date night too!
Great goals! I need to do a better job of setting more specific goals. I would love to hear more about selling blog posts, too! I want to do that ( I think) but I’m still figuring out where/how to start.
Lisa @ The Golden spoons recently posted..School Year Resolutions
Hi Lisa! You should totally set some goals with me! We can keep each other on track and hit them together!
I found a few groups on Facebook for selling blog posts. If you search “sell your content to bloggers” a few will likely pop up. I spent about two weeks lurking in the group to see what worked and what didn’t. I spent about an hour writing something that was amazing and it sold within five minutes of me putting it up. Now that Malone is headed off to school, I plan on writing a few more! I’ve got some conferences and events I want to attend next year and the only way I’m going to allow myself to go is if the blog or my skills help pay for it!
I like how your goals are categorized and they all seem totally reach-able. I think that is a common mistake with goals–too grand and not enough time to execute. I’ll be cheering you on, so keep us posted!
Nancy recently posted..Short on Space, Long on Hungry Kids: Storing Bulk Buys in a Small Kitchen
Great goals! I do set SMART goals all the time. I think doing it on a monthly basis is a great way to be accountable. Good luck!
-Paige xo
Yay! I love that you’re setting smart goals too!
I like how you started with what you have learned. I am late on my fall goals. I try to set mine seasonally or quarterly but I am behind. I got side tracked with an unexpected project. It’s all good though because the project is part of my 2015 goals!
Tara Newman recently posted..Our Trader Joe’s Shopping List|September
I’ve set quarterly goals for the blog, but not for life or home. I don’t know why… maybe because I can’t nail down specifics!
[…] this on the 1st so we’ll just pretend we’re on the same page. I saw a post from my bloggy friend, NJ, today about having S.M.A.R.T goals every month and posting them for added accountability. I […]
This is a fabulous idea, NJ. Even though I am a huge list maker, I never write out goals, but they are really just to-do lists, right? I need to get on that. I’m taking the Pinterest course too!
Dana recently posted..10 things I would love to learn
I am so glad you’re taking the Pinterest Class with me! I really can’t wait to dive in!
You’re right, these really are just like to do lists… focused to do lists!
Love these goals! I tend to make my goals too vague, and I want to work on setting better goals this fall.
Anne recently posted..Big Hero 6 Movie – New Clip
For a long time, my sole goal was to set better goals. It took quite a bit of time to get there, but I am so glad I’m doing it now!
What a neat idea! I like that you are holding yourself accountable by sharing it with all of us too. Good luck reaching those goals!
Jennifer H recently posted..The GB Zuzu Stroller: Ultra-Compact Fold & Lightweight Design
Thanks Jennifer! I have already crossed quite a few off of my list and the month has really just begun!
I have goals… written down in my head. I need put them on paper and cross them off as I complete them. Maybe then They will get done! Love your system.
Heather recently posted..The World of Eric Carle Clothing Now at Gymboree
Put them on paper! You’ll feel much better when you do!
Looks like a doable set of goals. My focus will be on getting better organized this month, and losing a few pounds.
Robin Gagnon recently posted..Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins Recipe
I’m trying to lose a few pounds too! It doesn’t help that I spent Labor Day on Cape Cod indulging in Lobster Rolls and onion rings!
Getting organized sounds like a great goal too!
Oh, this would help me so much! I make wishy-washy goals and then let myself out of them when they don’t get started well. I really need to be more specific about how I am going to get things done.
Rabia @TheLiebers recently posted..Five Minute Friday: Whisper
Those goals are amazing: simple and achievable. Next month I may have to do the same setup!
Thanks for sharing 🙂
NJ, you have inspired me to make some goals for September (better late than never, right?). Thanks for being so transparent here. 🙂
Erin recently posted..On the truth and beauty of creating myself.
I’ve never heard of SMART goals. I really like that! I’m ready to start working on my blog again. I’ve sort of stagnant in the blog world lately, but I’m feeling some fresh focus again. I need a date with my husband too! Happy birthday to Lola (I loved all of her bday pics on Instagram) and Happy Anniversary to you both!
Adrienne recently posted..What I Didn’t Tell My Doctor Yesterday
[…] this on the 1st so we’ll just pretend we’re on the same page. I saw a post from my bloggy friend, NJ, today about having S.M.A.R.T goals every month and posting them for added accountability. I […]