Things I Learned in 2019
Being the kind of teacher who loves analyzing student data and reflecting on my own practice, I find that goal and intention setting can be really productive and meaningful for me. So here’s a little look into my process and a peek at what I’ve learned this year:
A few clear goals and an intention work well for me.
I am a HUGE fan of Happier (Gretchen Rubin & Elizabeth Craft) and Happier in Hollywood (Liz Craft & Sarah Fain), and I loved setting 18 goals in 2018 and 19 goals in 2019.
However, at the end of 2018, I realized I had no idea what goals I had set at the beginning (despite my beautiful graphic)… I just knew I hadn’t reached my 18 goals! In 2019, I listed my 19 goals somewhere… and started actively working on the only 2 goals I still remember: complete a 5K and read 50 books. And I achieved both!
Inspired by Liz and Sarah, I also set an intention for 2019: Discovering Joy. I realized that I had spent so much time focusing on achieving professional goals and dealing with challenges that I had forgotten to do the things that bring me joy. And after having a little one, I found that outside of being a mom (which I absolutely love), I didn’t actually know what brought me joy anymore. I have learned so very much about myself this year, and I am not surprised to tell you that the journey has also made me a better mom.
Using my daily planner for goal setting and tracking my goals makes a huge difference!
I discovered a love of planners in 2018 and found that Passion Planner is by far my favorite, with Happy Planner being a decent second place at a lower price point (if you get all the coupons etc). Each week this year, I would write my goals, reflect on my progress, and plan out my activities for the week.
Because I wrote Run a 5 K by the end of the year in my planner so often, it became a focus for me. My running was planned out in advance, so I didn’t have to waste time and energy making decisions – I just did it. Decision fatigue is a very real thing, and removing that element and a huge impact on my willingness to get out there and run.
I also tracked my reading habits on Goodreads and loved seeing the number increase with each completed book. My abandoned books rate was significantly higher than I would have expected, and I found some new authors I really enjoyed! This has seriously improved my reading life!
Small steps can lead to big things
Gretchen Rubin says: Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. This saying has been a game changer for me as a recovering perfectionist. It’s fine to take a small, imperfect step in the right direction. It’s the first few steps that are often the hardest!
Running a 5K has been a lifelong goal of mine for so long that it became to seem inconceivable that I’d actually complete it. I decided this was an excellent, low-stakes way to test out Gretchen’s theory and made this a 2 year goal. That’s basically unheard of for me, since I am generally a let’s just get this done kind of girl.
Breaking this into a 2 year task brought me so much more joy than it would have if I had just pushed through it. In 2019, I planned to simply complete one with some combination of running and walking. My sister, who is an exercise science professional, recommended None to Run, and I found huge success following the program. Although I took several breaks throughout the year, I never felt that typical obsessive pressure to complete the task. Moving my body brought me joy, so I just happily continued on in whatever way worked best at the time.
I now recite Gretchen’s phrase to myself regularly, and it has made all the difference.
I am me
For me, water is better than coffee, napping can mess with my insomnia, and prayer/meditation have significantly improved my life. This isn’t true for everyone, and plenty of people swear by a quick power nap. Many other things that work for others just don’t work for me. That’s ok! Sometimes it’s just as helpful to know what doesn’t work for you (going to bed too early) as it is to know what does (tracking my water in my planner).
Gratitude is a powerful tool
By setting the intention to discover joy this year, I have rediscovered the power of gratitude and found that singing along to the radio, playing tag, and reading books can be just as important and purposeful as crossing that essential task off my to do list. While a daily gratitude journal, photo log, reflection, or other tool may be helpful, I’ve found expressing my gratitude in the moment is key. Whether it’s to thank those responsible for creating the moment or saying a silent prayer, it’s been awesome to see that each time I say thank you, I discover there’s more to be grateful for.
Thanks so much for reading along, chatting with me on Instagram, and checking out my TPT store. I am so grateful for each and every one of you!
