The Resolution Challenge: Planning

The Resolution Challenge: Planning

So in last week’s post, The Resolution Challenge, we talked about making our 2017 Resolutions a reality. Just to recap, we discussed the 5 major ways to make that happen, but if you missed it:

Set realistic goals. If you make goals that are unattainable, you’re likely to fail, but if you make goals that are too easy, you’ll be cheating yourself. Go midway. Examine what you will need to succeed and set goals accordingly.

Make a long term plan for it. It’s all about the planning, and without it, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Get to menu planning or creating a budget ASAP. It’ll make a world of difference.

Accept Change. These are LIFESTYLE changes that you will be making and this means that YOU will need to change in a major way. You set these resolutions for a reason- you weren’t happy with some area in your life and you are going to need to change it. Accept this right now.

Expect Obstacles and Hiccups. Every step you take in the direction of your goal puts you closer to it. Every step you take back sets you further apart. If you run into an obstacle or hiccup, learn from the experience, regroup, and keep on going. Don’t further distance yourself from your goal.

Make it Real/Hold Yourself Accountable. Make your goals concrete. Commit to it in some shape or form. Announce it, sign up for an event that will put more pressure on you to succeed, enlist the help of a friend and/or for money saving, cancel a service or plan.

Planning Basics

So you know what you want to achieve- now it’s time to plan it. Start off with the smaller steps. Are you looking to lose weight or save money? Or Both?

For Diet: Consider all of your diet and fitness goals. Are you looking to go Low carb? Vegetarian? Paleo? Consult with your doctor and determine the best diet plan for you. Once you’ve done that:

  1. Search Pinterest for healthy meal ideas or search for the best-rated and applicable cookbooks. Too busy? Then find another path: Get healthy and fresh smoothies delivered to your door with Greenblender or healthy snacks with Thrive Market. (Get 20% off your 1st Greenblender order using code: WINEANDLAVENDER at check out and/or get 15% off your order using my link to Thrive Market.)
  2. Find a menu planner printable and plan your week or month in advance. If you have all of your meals prepared, that keeps you from making last-minute “bad” decisions. You can also save money here by buying food in bulk and preparing your meals ahead of time.
  3. Go shopping!!

Free Menu Planner Printable

For Fitness Goals: You don’t need to join an expensive gym to get your workout on! There are plenty of videos and workout routines that are either free or paid, that can be cheaper than a gym membership and done from the comfort of your own home. Maybe dig out your treadmill and jump on it- starting off slow, if that helps.

  1. Schedule the time in advance to make sure that you do it, and schedule wisely. If you’re a morning person- knock it out first thing. If you’re not a morning person, make it a priority as soon as you get home from work. Make your resolution a PRIORITY, no matter how tired you might be or whatever else may get in your way.
  2. Enlist the help of a friend and hold each other accountable. Some of us do better when we are motivated by someone else or have someone to answer to. I’d love to see you do great, so send me a message or comment below on what you did this week. Let’s motivate each other. I’ll be sure to check up on you!!

For Finance goals: In order to start saving, you need to determine where you are spending. Like a leaky faucet, you could be wasting hundreds a year if you don’t keep a good grip on your money. Where do you start?

  1. Make a list of debts. Who do you pay and how much? Make sure that you are getting what you pay for, consider how much you use it and ultimately, if it’s even worth having. You will have to make some sacrifices. Do you have cable? Maybe you should check out these posts: 3 Reasons to Cut Cable, Goodbye Cable, Hello Fire!. Start at the top of the list and call each company, seeking a discount, lower interest rate, or new plan. Contact competitors and get quotes or information on promotions. Are you paying a ridiculous monthly student loan debt payment? Check out: Student Loan Debt: What You Need to Know.
  2. Sell your stuff. Get rid of things you don’t need or use and make some money. What are you holding on to it for? For ideas on what to sell and where to sell it, check out Online Buy Sell Trade Basics , 6 Reasons to De-Clutter Your Casa, and  One Mom’s Trash is Another Mom’s Treasure.
  3. Save money RIGHT NOW. One quick way to do this is by cleaning out your pantry and refrigerator. How many times have you had to throw out expired food? What a waste of food and money! Challenge yourself to come up with creative meals for the week or weekend by using what’s near expiration in your pantry. This will save you a trip to the store and money. Be sure to check out these 10 Ways to Save Money Now and how you can save money with Groupon Coupons, too.
  4. Plan to save later. Think about the expenses that hurt your wallet the most. How do you plan to pay for them? Have you been using coupons, mobile apps and/or email lists? Don’t pay full price- check out the 10 Ways to Save Money Now post- there’s a wealth of information in there! One huge expense for us is clothes. There are so many ways to save money on clothes! Check out: How to Save Money on Kids Clothes. Or maybe you’re sick of spending money on chipboard furniture and want something that will last- How Buying Antiques Saves You Money.
  5. Earn Extra Income. Starting a side hustle, or finding ways to make money here and there can go a long way to add to your savings, pay for vacations, or Christmas. Check out Making Money From Home for a way to do that.

How to save money on kid's clothes

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My Plan

Now here’s where you hold ME accountable. Here are my goals for 2017:

Exercise. I’ve signed up for my first 5K- not too much of an accomplishment for some people (ahem- my Full-Marathon-Running Husband, for example), but for me, it’s BIG. I’m not a runner in any shape or form, yet… but I know that when I’m engaging in regular physical activity, the weight just melts off and I need a way to hold myself accountable. It’s already paid for and IT IS HAPPENING, so it makes me HAVE to get up and work on it.

In order to prepare for my commitment, (which is a mere 10 weeks away…eeeeek!!) I’m following this Couch to 5K plan to be ready in 10 weeks!! Getting this much-needed, regular exercise will help me lose the weight AND train for the event… Did I mention it’s a wine run? Wahaha!! So at the end, I’ll be rewarded with some delicious wine!! That’s definitely a motivating factor!!

Diet. The best I’ve ever felt in my life was when I was on the Paleo Diet. I know you’re probably thinking that wine is not Paleo… Yes. That is a sad truth that I have to live with. BUT I believe the reason that I didn’t stick with Paleo was because it was so strict and confining. So going forward, I’ll be eating MOSTLY Paleo- which is more of a REALISTIC goal for me. With 3 kids at home, there is almost always going to be bread and cheese in my house- so limiting the amount that I eat is more realistic than swearing it all off entirely.

My plan is to eat Paleo for Breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Most dinners will be Paleo, but the ones that aren’t I’ll be sure to eat smaller portions of. I’m planning out meals for the month to keep me on track. You’ll find a lot of these meals in my Healthy Eating Pinterest Board or Resolution Challenge Board. I’ll let you know what meals were worth the time and effort, too.

This is the plan for only the first quarter of 2017- I am still planning the rest. Planning should be constant and can change along with the different things that are going on in your life. There may be more runs in 2017 for me, but for now, I’m being realistic and starting off with the 5k (small, realistic, steps).

Next week, we’ll talk about making progress- what’s working, what’s not, and how to stay on track.

Are you trying to lose weight, too? Follow my Resolution Challenge Board on Pinterest for some great ideas, tips & tricks!! I also retweet and share lots of great information, recipes, tips, and tricks on Facebook, Instagram, and  Twitter.

I’d love to hear about your progress, what works, what doesn’t work and how you’ve been managing it all! Let’s motivate each other!! Comment below.

 

Pamela is a Freelance Writer, Blogger, WAHM of 3, and Veteran Military Wife living in Southwest Texas. Raised in the Northeast and having lived a few years in the Pacific Northwest, she likes to write about mom life, parenting, frugal living, experiences, and WINE. (Lots of wine!) When she’s not busy chasing toddlers around, you can find her on the blog or on social media. Check her out on Instagram: instagram.com/wineandlavender



2 thoughts on “The Resolution Challenge: Planning”

    • Thanks Olivia!! I’m so glad you found it helpful. It keeps me from falling off track too- by holding myself accountable (and ahem…announcing it to the world EEK!) Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

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