Parenting Goals for the Year #BigGoals2017

People with goals succeed because they know where they are going.

- Earl Nightingale

It's the first month of a brand new year. People are usually busy these days planning for the new year. Have you done your own planning? Have you defined your goals for the year? If not, it's not yet too late. I believe that it's better to take it slow.

It's best to make sure that we are pursuing the right goals before we get busy pursuing them.

Let me share some of my BIG GOALS as a parent for 2017.

Goal #1 Be a better parent by improving in the area of handling my emotions when my kids do not obey me and the rules that we have set.

Actually, I have made it my goal years ago to live out this Bible verse:

"Slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love."

I have not been very good at being slow to anger. So, I make it my goal year after year to get better and better at it. There were many times in the past year that I felt frustrated getting the kids to listen and obey. Having no household help to assist me in managing the house and caring for the children made things extra challenging.

My kids are not the typical obedient kids who immediately obey those who are older than them or those who are in authority. Obedience is not their greatest strength. Proactivity, creativity, curiosity, quick thinking, intelligence, humor, persistence, strong will, high energy... these are words that describe them most of the time. Obedient, not always.

They like to challenge the rules. Following or doing other people's agenda is not something very interesting for them unless you are able to explain to them how it aligns with their interests or agendas. They usually have their own plans and are bent on executing them. They are not the type who will ask for permission to do what they want to do. They will simply set out to do what they want to do. Sadly, they sometimes ignore the rules or reminders given to them.

In truth, these are good traits. These are good characteristics of people who can be leaders.

But it's difficult when those who have these traits are 8 years old and under. I am concerned for their safety. I also want them to learn to respect and obey those in authority.

I tend to clash a lot with my kids... especially with my eldest son who has high intensity and who has a stubborn will just like me. My Powerful Choleric personality type finds it difficult to parent kids who are like them.

I have shared this difficulty with our developmental pediatrician already many years ago when I noticed these traits in my eldest son. He said that these are typical of gifted kids. He advised that parents be consistently firm to help kids learn to adhere to the rules and to obey those in authority.

Over the years also, I have learned to choose my battles so that we don't always go through a battle of the wills. When it will not put our lives in danger and our values are not compromised, I do my best to give them as much freedom and independence.

Goal #2 Make more happy memories with the kids by traveling with them or having vacations with them at least once a quarter.

This was one of my goals last year and we actually went beyond my target. if you've read my previous post on my blessings in the past year, bonding activities with my kids were one of those in my list. Since we had a lot of fun last year going places, I've decided we'll do the same this year. This is one goal I am very excited with for this year.

We've already booked last year our first hotel stay out-of-town for the first quarter of 2017. I'm still thinking where to go for the second quarter and the rest of the year.

Goal #3 Finish and publish at least one book for parents.

I believe that the lessons that we learn from our life experiences are only for our benefit. I believe that the insights that we gain from our life experiences are meant to help and bless the people around us, too. That is why I love sharing my stories here on my blog, in the articles I write for other publications, in my books, in my talks, training programs and workshops.

This year, I want to finally finish one of my pending manuscripts. I have already designed the book cover. I have printed it and posted it on the wall of my home office so that I am reminded every day that I have to finish this book. Let me share it with you.

Last year, I published and launched one book also, my very first children's book titled Mommy Loves You Just the Same. It was a daunting goal. But by the grace of God, it was achieved. It was another dream come true!

This year, although my situation hasn't changed. We still do not have a stay-in household help. But I claim that I can do achieve all these goals with the strength of Christ. I know that God will make a way. That He will help me make things happen. Why? First, because I have seen Him do this many times in the past for me. Second, because my intentions are good and these will not only benefit me but many people.

I may have BIG GOALS that seem difficult to achieve. But I have a BIGGER GOD who makes ALL things possible!

That's why my OneWord for this year, 2017, is BELIEVE.

BELIEVE in God more.
BELIEVE in myself more.
BELIEVE in others more.
BELIEVE in more possibilities.
BELIEVE that more and bigger miracles are on their way to me.
I choose to BELIEVE that the best is yet to come! 

This was inspired by the Bible verse, "I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." - Psalm 27:

How about you? What are some of your big goals this year? Do you also have a One Word for the year? Or a guiding verse? Feel free to share these in the comments. Let's cheer each other on!

If one of your goals this year is to be a better parent by spending more quality time with your kids and still finding time to achieve your career or business goals, check out my iHOPE Online Coaching Program. You may read the details here.

Lessons (re)Learned at the Start of a Brand New Year About Dreams

It's the first day of the new year. I reviewed my list of dreams in my Novena to God's Love booklet through the years after my morning prayers. After that, I wrote down my dreams for 2016 in my new booklet. 

I had been doing this for years. It was a joy to read the dreams I have written in my previous booklets and the dates when these dreams were fulfilled. I felt so blessed to be reminded of the many dreams God has helped me fulfill just in the past three years. (I'm not sure if I started with this practice earlier than 2013 because I could not find other booklets.) Remembering these blessings gave me so much hope to face this brand new year with joufl anticipation for more dreams coming true and becoming my reality.

While pondering on my list of dreams last year (2015), I (re)learned some lessons about dreams and dreaming. Let me share them with you.

1. Dreams do come true, whether big or small. - I wrote a number of dreams in my Novena booklet. We're supposed to write seven dreams on it only. But in some pages, I wrote multiple dreams. Thus, I am amazed that most of the dreams I wrote on its pages were fulfilled. It's simply amazing! Reviewing them encouraged me to dream new dreams and to just keep on dreaming.

2. Don't just dream. Work hard on your dream too! - It's not enough that we dream dreams. We need to do our part in making them happen. I love the quote which says, "Pray as if all depended on God. Work as if all depended on self."

I remember a funny story I once heard. A speaker said that the first step in making our dreams come true is to wake up from our dream and to do the necessary work.

Many of my fulfilled dreams entailed a lot of work on my part. I made a lot of sacrifices. I put in a lot of work hours. I hustled. I did what was necessary. And my efforts paid off because almost all of the dreams I listed last year came true by the grace of God and with a lot of hard work!

3. There's a perfect time for your dreams to come true. Learn to let go and let God be the God of all your dreams. - As I mentioned earlier, not all of the dreams I listed came true. A few are still in progress. I have started workign on those dreams but the results that I wanted to see and experience have not happened yet. 

What I learned through these dreams is that no matter how hard we work on something, if it is not yet time for these dreams to come true, these dreams would not be fulfilled. God still has the final say. 

I remember another beautiful lesson I learned years ago. A speaker shared that it's not enough that we do God's Will in our lives. We also need to make sure that we do things God's way and that we follow God's perfect timing. Let Ecclesiates 3 remind us of this truth: "God appoints when all things will happen." 

So, if like me, you have dreams that are still on stage 1 or stage 2 and there are still a few or a number of steps that you need to take, don't despair and give in to frustration. Let go and let God be God of those dreams that are yet to come true.

4. Some dreams are more important than others. - Like what I said earlier, I sometimes listed more than one dream per page in my Novena to God's Love booklet. I had so many dreams that I wanted to be fulfilled last year. God taught me to prioritize when He allowed our maids to leave us one after the other. We didn't have a helper for almost half a year. Working on my personal goals and business goals on top of Mommy duties and household chores was extremely challenging. I had to decide which dreams had more weight in my heart. So, I chose to prioritize my dreams and goals related to my role as mother over those dreams and goals related to my roles as author and mompreneur. I'm glad I made that choice! I felt so at peace and fulfilled even though I had to delay my pursuit of those dreams. I believe that I can delay finishing another book. But I wouldn't be truly happy if I keep my kids waiting too long all the time because I'm so busy chasing my other dreams. 

How about you? Do you have dreams that you want to see realized this new year? Do you also make a list just like me? Do you make time to reflect at the start of each brand new year? Feel free to share your thoughts and your dreams on the comments. I'd love to hear from you!

Happy New Year and may your dreams come true!

Required Reading Challenge

"Let it go! Let it go! Can't hold it back anymore! Let it go! Let it go!"

 

Like most kids these days, my sons love the movie Frozen; and if I let them, they will watch it over and over not just every day by several times a day!

I was getting a little bit worried about their increase tv time.

I wanted them to spend more time playing and reading.

I have asked them to do activities related to the movie (i.e. drawing Olaf and other characters from the movie and writing their names). But I think that they were still watching too much tv.

 

So, I challenged my eldest son to a reading challenge.

 

I brought out one of his reading programs again and reminded him of these books. I told him that if he is able to read aloud to me all the 10 books in his reading program in 7 days, he could have unlimited play on a Saturday or Sunday at Active Fun, BGC.

 

My sons loves playing there that's why I used that as reward for the challenge.

 

As soon as he heard what he could get as his reward, he wasted no time and grabbed a book right there in the middle of our living room.

 

He started reading even before I was ready to listen to him. So I hurriedly finished what I was doing so I can focus on listening to him.

We sat in the living room with his younger brother as he read to me. He finished reading one book. Then, he got another one... and another one... and another one. I think he has read around 5-6 books already when I asked him if he wants to rest for a while and resume later or the next day.

He said that he still wants to read. He wants to finish reading all 10 books that day according to him.

I told him that he still has a number of days to achieve his goal. But he was bent to finish reading all 10 books right away. So, I just let him.

He was reading fast. There were times when I would remind him to pause or stop at punctuation marks. There were also some words that he was not able to pronounce correctly but he was doing his best to read even unfamiliar words and I was happy to see and hear him persevere in reaching his goal.

I taught him the correct way of reading some words and reminded him how to read when there are periods.

The result: My eldest son read all 10 books in an hour!

This reading program was given to me in 2012 and my son and I have read these books that year. But because we moved to a new house, most of our books are still in boxes. I consciously brought these out so my son can read them again.

 

 

The reading levels were: Starter, Progressive and Champion. There were 3 books under the first two levels and 4 books in the last.

I was very impressed! I was not surprised that he was able to read the books because my son  has been reading since he was 2 years old. I was surprised at the determination he showed to achieve his goal!

He finished reading just in time for our lunch so during lunch and after, I decided to test his retention and comprehension on what he read. I asked him questions. To which, he answered impressively as well.

Let me share some of the information that he shared to me when I asked him about what he learned from the books he read.

"Spiders have 8 legs."

"An octopus has 8 tentacles."

"A lion is a big cat that weighs 400 pounds. The baby lion is called a cub."

"The baby shark is called a pup." 

Then, I remembered what his developmental pediatrician told me. Gifted children has very good retention skills. I was also glad to find out that he understood most of what he read because it moved him to ask me more questions about the topics he read. There were science materials included in the program and he asked me follow up questions to some of them. In truth, I didn't know the answers to most of his follow up questions so I told him that we'll research for the answers.

Here's are some examples of his questions:

"What's the weight of sharks and dolphins?"

"What do lions eat?"

 

 "Should we be afraid of skeletons?"

"What happens when the arteries are blocked?"

I realized as I looked back that he was really thinking and processing the information that he was reading even though he was reading fast. He was not only asking me questions after he finished reading but also along the way. I was delighted to hear him ask questions because that meant that he was curious and he wanted to find out more. Those are the foundations of learning.

Later, I told him that he should also read the starter books to his younger brother so that Mateo would also learn the things that he learned.

That was yesterday.

Today, although he has already finished reading all the books in our challenge, he still read them again. He read them to his younger brother. He actually continued reading even after his younger brother lost interest in listening to him and was already nursing from me.

He just kept o reading again... And the sight of him reading because he wanted to gave me joy.

My heart was filled with joy because I witnessed my son enjoying an activity that also fills me with much joy when I do it -- reading. Reading is one of my favorite hobbies. Reading was instrumental in shaping my personality, my character and even my career. I believe that I am the person that I am now because of the books I read. I believe that I became an author/writer because I loved reading.

I'm excited for my son! I'm excited for I know that reading would open many doors to him. It would enable him to discover many exciting things and teach him a lot of new things/skills.

I'm glad that I thought of this reading challenge. I think I'm going to do this either weekly or every other week. I'm confident that my boy would respond positively to the challenge again next time; so, I'd better fix our schedule so as not to disappoint him and grant him his reward as promised.

 

2013 God-Sized Dreams Fulfilled

My 2013 started out to be a challenging year. God challenged me to write a book on breastfeeding on my own. My initial plan before 2013 was to have a co-author. I soon discovered (the hard way) that God had other plans.

 

"Can I finish it on my own? What will I write in the book?"

 

I could feel fear breathing at the back of my neck. I am grateful though that God granted me grace to keep on walking forward towards the fulfillment of this God-sized dream even with trembling knees.

 

I battled with doubts along the way. I felt like I was walking in a street with a thick fog, barely seeing my next steps.

 

God's voice, however, was loud and clear; so, I kept walking... sometimes very slowly, sometimes with big, bold steps.

 

I kept moving forward by continuously finding time to write even in my busyness as a mom of two active little boys and as a mompreneur of a consulting business (for management, human resources and training solutions). I thank God for the grace to keeping on keeping on, to keep on pursuing the dream in spite of countless obstacles.

 

But God did not only give me one God-sized dream to pursue last year. I believe that God gave me two more. These two other dreams were born while my husband and I were in a conference sometime in March last year. Just like with my first God-sized dream last year, I didn't think or feel that I was equipped to make those dreams realities. I embraced the dreams still and acted on them. I asked help from my husband and we started building my dream web site for my business. That was my second God-sized dream for 2013. In the same way that I spent many nights writing my book on breastfeeding, my husband and I spent many nights working together to move closer to fulfilling that dream web site.

 

The third God-sized dream that God planted in my heart is to write my first e-book that is related to one of my blogs (When My Bridegroom Comes). I felt that God wanted me to inspire and empower future brides through this e-book by sharing my story of how I prepared for my wedding.

 

Pursuing ONE God-sized dream was already intimidating. But God believed so much in my capacity to receive His graces that He gave me THREE God-sized dreams last year. I really could not imagine in the beginning how it would be possible to fulfill all these. God, however, awed me once more by allowing me to be part of this great adventure and enabling me to witness the fulfillment of ALL these dreams.

 

Yes, you read it right. By the grace and mercy of God, those THREE God-sized dreams were fulfilled all in one year! Glory to God!

 

My web site www.fulllifecube.com is already up. It's still a work in progress but the basic features I want to be there are now available. Moreover, I have registered it as my new business name (Full Life Cube Publishing and Events Services). I found an artist as well who did my company's logo just in time so that I can incorporated it in my new business card and in my latest print book Breastfeeding: A Journey Worth Taking.

 

 

My e-book How to Have the Wedding of Your Dreams is also out and can be downloaded for free by the subscribers of my blog When My Bridegroom Comes.

 

 

Truly, it has been one great adventure with God and I thank God for inviting me to join Him in this adventure. I have learned and grown a lot in the past year. I thank Him for all the help He has given me and for everyone He used to inspire and empower me. I thank Him for Holley Gerth who inspired me through her blog and her books (You're Made for a God-Sized Dream and You're Already Amazing). God used her blog and her books to encourage and inspire me last year during the most trying times of my journey to the fulfillment of my God-sized dreams.

 

And because of the fulfillment of these three God-sized dreams, I have the courage to say yes to another God-sized dream that God has planted in my heart for 2014. I'm writing another book! My God is unstoppable in giving me inspiration and I can't ignore His voice or His prompting. So, I'm declaring in faith that this year 2014, I will have at least one God-sized dream fulfilled.

 

How about you? Has God placed a God-sized dream in your heart at the start of this new year? Don't be afraid to listen to His voice in your heart. You can do it with Him at your side. I can say this with confidence because it happened to me... not just once but three times last year! You can do it, too! Believe in yourself and in the God who made you!

 

Happy New Year!

 

 

 

 

Giving up and Making Space for Love this Lent

 

 

 "I’m participating in the Keeping LOVE in LENT Blog Link-Up 2013, hosted by

Raising (& Teaching) Little Saints, Truly Rich Mom and Arma Dei: Equipping Catholic Families. We'll be sharing different ways, tips, stories and real-life experiences that will help us focus on Lenten sacrifices, prayer and good deeds, and how to carry them out with LOVE instead of a GRUMBLE. Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of link-up entries.”

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I was particularly struck by a line that the priest said in his homily last Friday.  He said, "We give up something, not out of obligation this Lent, but because we want to love God more and we want to love others more."  It's a very timely reminder for all of us on why we fast and abstain during the season of Lent.  Lent invites us to draw closer to God who is love Himself; so that as we draw closer to Him, we would be transformed and purified by His love.

 

I also liked one of his examples to illustrate how we, Filipinos, demostrate how easily we give up our comfort to accommodate our neighbors who are in need.  He cited the experience of riding the jeepney as an example.  He said that jeepney passengers practice giving up their comfort every day to make space for a fellow passenger; because a lot of times, jeepneys which can normally seat only seven people are made to accommodate eight or nine passengers.  And for this to happen, the rest of the passengers will have to give up a bit of the space they are sitting on to the new passenger.  He said that somehow, this makes the "impossible" possible because there were people who chose to give up their comfort for the sake of another. I found this a very amusing and beautiful analogy.

 

Then, I was inspired to look into my own experiences and I was led to ponder on my life and my transformation from a very busy single working lady to a busy mom of two active little boys.

 

I have given up a lot of things, including many that made me comfortable, since I became a mom.  I chose to give up all those things, not out of obligation or duty for my family, but mainly for love.  I wanted to give the best to my kids.  Thus, I decided to give up my work before and the many perks (including travelling often) that went with having a job outside the home especially with the kind of job I used to hold.  I have given up much of my sleep and personal time to make time for my kids.  I have adjusted my lifestyle to accommodate three of God's greatest blessings in my life -- my husband and my two sons.  I'm actually amazed at how God had enabled me through His grace to make space for two little kids in my life and for helping my heart grow bigger to love not just one but two kids.  Indeed, only God can move our hearts to love more... Because He first filled our hearts with His love.  With this love from His Sacred Heart, we are then able to love those whom God has placed in our path.

 

 

This Lent, I have decided to fast not just on specific foods (like chocolates) that I enjoy eating.  I have also decided to fast from some negative behaviors or responses to some of the things that challenge my resolve to be more loving like God.  You can read here to find out more about it.

 

I have planned a number of activities for our young family to help us become more prayerful and loving to each other and to the poor around us.  I pray that as we get busy striving to do all these things this Lent, we would not forget or lose sight of the main reason why we choose to do all these things.

How are you making space for Love this Lent? What are you giving up?  Feel free to share it with me by leaving a comment in this post.

Have a meaningful and love-filled Lent!

 

Here are the links to some of my previous posts about Lent or during the season of Lent.  I will be posting more in the coming days so I hope you'd drop by again next time. :) 

 

Reflections:

Inspiration for Lent 2013

Reporters and Stones

Will You Complain or Praise?

God's Praise or Human Praise?

Hometown Decision

Majority Rules

SSS: Service, Sacrifice and Suffering

  

Activities:

Lent 2012 Activities

Learning New Prayers

  

Recipes:

Mommy TG's 4-Week Cycle Menu Plan for Lent

Recipes for Meatless Fridays: Crusted Tilapia Fillet

Recipes for Meatless Fridays: Paksiw na Bangus
 

Check out the Lent reflections participating in the Keep LOVE in LENT Blog Link-Up 2013! We'll be sharing different ways, tips, stories and real-life experiences that will help us focus on Lenten sacrifices, prayer and good deeds, and how to carry them out with LOVE instead of a GRUMBLE.  Discover new Catholic Blogs to follow! 

Equipping CatholicFamilies: Keep LOVE in LENT

Call Her Happy:40 Simple Lenten Activities for Kids

Lenten Love: Little Acts of Love

Building Rocks

Grow the Roses: Keep Love in Lent

Family At The Foot Of The Cross: Loving Service

Catholic Homeschooling Joy: A Lenten Activity

JOY:Keep the Love in Lent

Twenty Tuesday Afternoons: Tuesday # 11: Pancake Tuesday / Keeping Love in Lent

Campfires and Cleats: Why a Failing Lent Really Isn't

Harrington Harmonies: Make a Lenten Holy Hour

A Mommy of Three:Good Deeds for Lent

Loving the Semi Country Life: Lent:special time to reflect and keep the love in lent

Written By the Finger of God: A 7 Step Lenten Plan

The Irish Lassie Shop: Seek God Everywhere

Hand-Maid with Love: Living Lent, Loving Lent

Words On Heaven: IN THE DESERT FOR 40 DAYS

On The Way Home: Keeping LOVE in Lent

Homeschooling with Joy: Keep Love in Lent

Mountain Grace: Keep Love in Lent

Eyes On Heaven: I am Choosing to Live

Joy Alive in Our Hearts:"God's Love at Work"

Life of Fortunate Chances: Love is Fun: Keeping Love in Lent

Fifth of Five: Keep the LOVE in Lent

I Blog Jesus: for Praying our Loud!

Overflow: Loving Lent with Little Ones

This Cross I Embrace: Keep LOVE In Lent

Sole Searching Mamma: 15 Ways to Experience a More Meaningful Lent

Catholic All Year: My Biggest Lent Fails and How I Learned Mortification...

Four Little Ones: Keeping Love in Lent

Gaels Crafty Treasures Keeping Love in Lent

Bear Wrongs Patiently: Lent for the Scrupulous

Rosary Mom: Keeping Love in Lent

LoveLetters 7.10: Teacups {Keeping the Love in Lent}

Little Saints in the Making: Keep Love in Lent

Blessed with Full Hands: Keeping love in Lent- Praise Him

Normal Chaos: Our Own Personalized Lenten Journey

These Little Blessings: Gifting Love this Lent

The Cajun Catholic: The our Father; a lenten reflection

Truly Rich Mom: Keeping Love in Lent... Even When It Is Difficult

GATHERING GRACES:Keeping LOVE in LENT

SaIsa Pang Sulyap - Fullness Of His Love

LiturgicalTime: Keeping Love in Lent - Finding Balance

Grace Loves Iggy: love in lent

Sacred Oysters: Empty (Keeping LOVE in LENT)

Tercets:Make Heart Rosary Decades to Pray for Others

The Diary of a Sower: Our Lenten Prayer Tree

A Living Garden -- Giving for Others with Love: Keeping LOVE in LENT

Homegrown Catholics: Motivated by my childrens' activities {Lent}

MyBroken Fiat: Keeping Love in Lent... Barely

Journey to Wisdom: Keeping Love in Lent: Bands of Love

Softening My Heart: An Anniversary Lesson duringLent

SMART Goals for SMART Moms

Reposting an article I wrote last year for POC which I think would be of benefit to many at the start of this new year.  (The link is currently not working.)  Tweaked it a bit to update the article.

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It's already the middle of the first month of the new year.  Have you spent it wisely by looking back on the past year and planning for improvements this year?  Many people set new goals at the start of the new year – be they for the quarter, semester or the entire year.  I also have this habit of setting yearly goals so as to improve myself and the quality of my life and that of my family.  I set spiritual, emotional, health and financial goals for the year and I schedule quarterly reviews to check my progress.  I do this after reviewing how well I have achieved my goals in the past year.  In order for us to plan where to go next, we first need to know where we have been and where we are right now.  Once we know where we want to go, we can plan how we’re going there.

Let me share some reminders for all of us about goal setting whether we have already set our goals for the year or we’re still planning to do so.  Most of us have probably heard this before but it’s good to be reminded now at the start of the year so we can make sure that the goals we set are effective.  So for our goals to be effective and to ensure our success in achieving them, let’s make sure that they are SMART.

Specific – We need to be as specific as possible.  When our goals are clear to us, we can specify what we want to happen.  That increases the possibility of us achieving our goals.  What we can clearly see in our minds will most likely be translated into reality. 

Measurable – We wouldn’t know if we have achieved something if we have no means of measuring it.  We must find ways to measure, quantify or find indicators for our success in the goals that we set.

Attainable – One reason why we need to review our past experiences is for us to set realistic goals for the future.  Setting goals that are too far off or those which are impossible for us to achieve will simply frustrate us.  Looking at our past experience enables us to calibrate our goals such that they become attainable.

Relevant – Our goals will never move or excite us if they are not relevant to us.  They must be something we need or strongly desire.  Otherwise, they will remain in our minds or on paper.

Time-bound – We need to set deadlines or timeframes for our goals.  Do we want to achieve this goal within the first quarter?  Or is it something we plan to achieve by yearend?  When are we going to measure our progress and decide whether we have been successful or not?

Having said all these, let me share some examples of SMART goals smart moms can aim to achieve this year.

 Spiritual Goals

1.    Spend 20 minutes each day to read the Bible and meditate on the readings.

2.    Go to confession once a month.

3.    Go to church as a family every Sunday.

4.    Attend at least one retreat or recollection within the year.

 

Family Goals

1.    Read at least two books each day to your child.

2.    Eat dinner as a family at least 4 times a week.

3.    Go on family trips at least once a quarter.

4.    Have a weekly dialogue with your spouse.

Health Goals

1.    Drink 8 glasses of water each day.

2.    Exercise 3 times a week – Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

3.    Spend 30 minutes of “me time” each day.

4.    Limit pork and beef consumption to once a week.

Finance Goals

1.    Earn at least P2,500 per month from part-time work or business.

2.    Save P500 every pay day to start building your emergency fund.

3.    Invest P5,000 every quarter in stocks.

4.    Lower your electric bill by 10% by the end of the first quarter and maintain that level throughout the rest of the year.

These are just examples.  You can choose to make them your goals for the year.  You can slightly modify or customize them to make them relevant to your situation.  Or you may want to craft your own SMART goals entirely.