Still Stumped on Goals? Here Are Some Suggestions!

I continue to be obsessed by goal setting this year. So I will share one more post and then I promise to get back to more hands-on topics like trapping cats in cold weather, shelters, and cool programs that others are doing. I have found setting my own goals quite challenging this year. Maybe it is age or just the fact that I worry I won’t be able to attain my goals, but I am hedging and hedging hard…  So I am trying a couple of different tricks to help me get focused.

Use an index card to write down your goals.

This will help keep you from writing down too many goals. You might want to brainstorm on a sheet of paper and then cut down from there, but either way, it is important to make some hard choices so that you can focus your efforts in a productive way. Attached is a photo of my “index card.” I am sure I will end up doing a lot more than what is on that card — and the card is only for the Community Cats Podcast. I have a separate card for my HubCats Chelsea work (also shown) and one for my personal stuff. I think we are supposed to fit everything on one card, so maybe I am cheating a bit. I guess I still need to work more on this, but I think you get the point.

The other concept that I have been considering is the theory of threes.

We all have different categories to our lives — work, volunteer, health, family, etc. One rule I am trying to follow is to keep the focus in these categories to “three.” For instance, I have been practicing this with my exercise: I walk three miles three times a week, lift weights three times a week, play tennis three times a week, take a twenty-minute sauna three times a week… I think you get it! I can easily play tennis more than three times a week, and I can easily not lift weights at all… So for me, this is about trying to figure out balance. Three may not be your magic number, but for me it seems to work out well. When I plan a work day, I try to keep my key objectives at three or fewer items so that I will have crossed off most of my items at the end of the day instead of having a long list of things that just roll over to the next day, leaving me feeling stressed and upset.

Lastly, you will hear more about this book in my book review show coming up later this month, but I am fascinated by James Clear’s book Atomic Habits.

He says we don’t need goals, but rather systems that will help us create better habits. He feels that we spend too much time on goal setting, and not enough time on how we can get there. It is an interesting idea, especially as we are working toward changing habits around the treatment of community cats. I have found this book to be much more about self help and how it can really impact our behavior in our communities too. If you want to check it out, here is a link to get it on Amazon. Your purchase through this link will support the Community Cats Podcast.

That’s all for goal talk, I promise!