Benjamin Franklin had it right! I’m really not sure why it has taken me 50 years to learn the value of planning.

As a “fly by the seat of my pants” kind of gal I told myself “I work better under pressure”, “I’ve got plenty of time” or the famous “what could possibly go wrong”??  The younger me could use instinct and pulled off many things ranging from work related projects to just getting dinner on the table.

Now, don’t get me wrong I will still use my instinct and my “gut feelings” but I will use them as I plan – as I determine my goals and the path that will lead me to success.

I’m really good at writing up plans for a paying work situation. So I thought I can totally write a plan for my blog and for my goals! I  use the S.M.A.R.T. goal setting practice as a rough guide to help me through the process – and it is a process. As someone who can easily get overwhelmed I’ve found using this system helps to keep me focused.

What are S.M.A.R.T. goals?

S – specific

M – Measurable

A – Attainable

R – Relevant

T – Time Bound

Read about S.M.A.R.T. goals here:

• http://www.smart-goals-guide.com/smart-goal.html
• https://www.briantracy.com/blog/personal-success/smart-goals/

Using this system helps me with my goals of:

• Being mindful or present in everything I do
• Creating and executing a plan for this blog
• Becoming a meal planning maven
• Getting each room of my house organized (room by room)
• Maintaining my fitness

I do keep my plan in DRAFT form. That gives me flexibility to work on what speaks to me that day but keeps me focused enough to keep moving towards my overall goals. The beautiful thing about all of this, is that each new day, each new situation or even each new hour is an opportunity to re-group, re-organize and accomplish what I set out to do. This is a constant work in progress for me but I am learning from, and enjoying the process.

As I dabble with meditation (as part of my mindful goal) this quote from Deepak Chopra spoke to me this morning –

…”negative motivation is incompatible with positive results”…

In my mindful practice, I am eliminating negative self-talk. I would never talk to another human being, friend or foe, the way that I talk to myself.

I also found the Live Planted podcast #103 from March 20 helpful in reminding me not to miss the simple things, like noticing how beautiful the sky is while driving to workout, appreciating the flowers blooming in my yard, enjoying the dog walk instead of feeling like it is a chore. I love the tone that Alyssa and her guests take on being vegan as they discuss fresh topics, answer listener questions and build awareness about different vegan products and various choices as they relate to a plant-based lifestyle.

I refer to my plan daily and create daily goals based on my monthly and/or overall goals. I definitely have to take it hour by hour but I AM making progress!