So. If I set these goals on 1/1, where would I be today? I would have decided I failed at the first one because no one else controls that, and I ate out four times last week, and also had a frozen pizza. I would decide, if not by now than soon, that I can’t possibly feel healthier and stronger than ever because I cannot even eat as many vegetables as I wanted. Come in third place? I am a lazy, pizza eating loser. How am I supposed to do that? And when is this race, anyway?

Can you see how I set myself up? Here it is, my fresh new goals are 20 days old, and they suck and I am a failure. KNEW IT! Pass the Chick Fil A, please. Maybe this fall I’ll get to it.

STOP RIGHT THERE.

 My theoretical self has not failed, she didn’t even try. And how could she? No road map, no systems, no accountability. Does this sound like you? Then read on my friend.

There is a kind of goal called a SMART goal. Specific, measurable, accountable, relevant, and timed. I don’t always set my goals in this way, but it is a useful tool to take your goal and make it relevant and give yourself some specifics about the goal. For example, instead of ‘come in third place in a local race’ I can say ‘beat my personal best time of 1 hour and run the hot dog race on May 5^th in 55 minutes’. First, now this is a goal I can control a little more and I have a better chance of success, which boosts my motivation for the next thing. Second, there is a time limit. I have now from 1/1 to 5/5 to improve my time. Make sense?

Take a minute here and re-visit your resolutions, manifest list, goal list, whatever you called the list you made of things you want to do in this year at the beginning of the year. If you haven’t made one yet, that’s ok. Think of a few things you’d like to accomplish and jot them down.

Another example - Eat 80% of my meals at home with half my plate filled with plants. Okay. What about ‘Cook 4 meals this week and make half of my plate plants’? That’s easier, and if I make large batches of those meals, I can have leftovers for lunch. I could also say ‘reduce takeout to 4 times this month’ and ‘bring lunch to work 4 days this week’.

Sure, overall, I want 80% of the food I eat to be in line with this healthy self I am imagining. I could make that 2 meals and 1 snack per day (out of 3 meals and 2 snacks total), I could make that six out of seven dinners this week, etc. But to just say 80% as my goal does not give me direction, no specifics, no time frame and really the only outcome possible is confusion and self-loathing. I love to self loathe but that’s a convo for another day guys.

If I want to eat healthier, what am I doing this week?

I am making a list of the 21 meals I plan to eat.

Then I will fill in any social engagements or plans that keep me away from the home either around or during any meal.

Then I am looking at what I already have, especially if it is perishable.

Creating some meals using those items as a base. The easiest way to do that in my opinion is to google ‘shrimp brussels sprouts rice’ or whatever. You will be BLOWN AWAY. Google says, ‘one pan honey sesame shrimp with roasted brussels sprouts’. Um, yes. Have sesame oil. Check. That can be two meals, you know? So, we’ve only got 19 left.

Hot take-breakfast can be a variation of the same thing every day, so oatmeal, nut butter, and fruit for me. Great way to get a head start. Leftovers also count if you plan to make enough. So now I have 9 meals planned in about 4 minutes.

Once I have a plan, I am making a list and going to the grocery store. While I am at the store, I am getting a rotisserie chicken and a salad in a bag for tonight. I don’t know what kind of psychopath fights for their life at Costco and then comes home to sesame roast some brussels sprouts but it isn’t me. Didn’t think of chicken and salad from bags? Meal #10 for you.