Hello wonderful, lovely, one-of-a-kind people! If you’re reading this, take this as your sign. Think about that one thing you’ve been putting off, whether it’s going to the gym, texting that one person, extending an apology to someone, applying to your dream job, just absolutely anything. Now, while that thought is still fresh in your mind, write down up to 10 ways you can take a step closer to getting that done. OKAY WAIT, for all of you who are currently moving their mouses (mice makes me feel like I’m talking about your pets, but them too) to the red circle icon at the corner of your screens, hear me out.
Dates freak me out. I am constantly that one person who asks what the date it is for today, and then proceeds to do the same thing a couple days later. I am not sure exactly what it is, but I think I subconsciously just like to avoid my problems. If a huge exam is on the 19th, you already know I’ll be refusing to memorize the date the week prior. Ignorance is bliss, I guess? Therefore, thinking about goals and schedules was one huge, terrifying bundle of nope. The only way I found to move past the anxiety that I knew awaited me was through what I called monthly resets.
Sure, last month I may have way overspended, fell behind on cleaning, and got like no sleep, but why wait until the new year to set intentions for the rest of the year? There are 365 days until the next time you can modify a resolution that doesn’t work for you, but with monthly resets, you do 12 times less of the waiting. I found that my productivity and ability to stay on top of things really grew compared to previous months, and I like to call them resets for that exact reason. I try not to set goals that hinge on my progress from the previous months, because “hike more than last month” can mean hike once for me this month. Setting goals that are unaffected by other months allows me to feel motivated in my ability to get back on track with my overall goal and just restart. Also, schedule planning and goal-setting feels more approachable because it makes all these huge abstract goals into smaller goals I can feasibly see myself accomplishing in a one month period, and then actually seeing myself work towards my overall goals.
Still don’t believe me? According to Psychology Today, a study conducted by psychologists Gail Matthews proved that people who thought out and wrote down their goals were a whole 33% more successful at reaching their goals than those who only did so in their heads. So take this time, the start of October, to set intentions for yourself and allow yourself to restart and drop the bad habits you had the previous month. The way you do monthly resets is completely up to you, whether there is one large goal you want to focus on this month, or plenty of smaller ones, just find ways to take a step towards your goal(s). Make sure the goals are specific (as in, not just “lose weight,” but something like “go to the gym twice a week”) and doable within a month, so not simply writing “get a PHD.” The rest is up to you! Hope you feel organized and refreshed doing these!