The Plan

With such high hopes for myself, I decided I needed a plan. What I have in mind is not a new year’s resolution as such, but a process of change that has a time frame of one year. The world of education is all about strategic planning and goal setting, so I’m going to use what I know and set some SMART goals for myself.
A SMART goal is;
Specific
Measurable
Action-based
Realisitic
Time-bound

So my aim is to be better at being me. This is not a smart goal. It’s kind of comical little telling off for being a dork. But this is the idea that sits loftily in the clouds, shining brightly with a gold hue and glitter dropping from it like unicorn snot.

How I will get to this idea in the clouds is via a staircase that I will build from SMART goals. Some of the steps are small, some I’ll need a stepladder and platform shoes to climb. But put them all together, and they will be my path to a brighter, shinier new me.

I have a big wall planner that has the foreseeable events for this year all marked out, including the goals I have set myself that you’re about to read. As you’ll see, this is a pretty big commitment to myself. I’ve thought a lot about this, about what is important to me and how I want my lifestyle to change. The thing is, I already do a lot of these things, in fits and bursts or without paying any real attention to it. What this plan does is make time for it. It helps me stay accountable to myself, to remind myself of the bigger picture, and to show me how rich and wonderful a life – my life – can be.

Weekly – This is important:

• Add to the ‘Blessed with Awesome’ jar.
• 10,000 steps a day, five days a week.
• Write something – a wedding, blog, portfolio reflection or work on the novel
• Play the ukulele
• Save ten dollars, five in to savings and five in to Alice’s account.
• Study
• Gym it when you can – aim for three times a week.

Monthly -  This is also important, especially the first one:

• A date with Paul, with or without Alice.
• A weigh and measure at the gym.

January

• Squat challenge
• Plant leek, sweet corn, and lettuce.
• Do those weddings!

February

• Read and reflect on two articles from Child Forum or another source. Reward – Professional development in New Plymouth.
• Plant beetroot, cabbage, onion

March

• Durie Hill steps twice a week. Reward –  Manawatu Gorge walk with Paul. Write about what you hear.
• Plant Kale, cauliflower, and rhubarb
• Te Reo Maori course starts this month, too.

April

• Bridge loop twice a week
• Review teaching portfolio
• Plant garlic, peas, spinach

May

• Learn three new songs on the ukulele
• Plant silverbeet and wildflowers
• Enjoy graduation day, you earned it. Write about this day.

June

• Celebrate Paul’s birthday
• Walk up St. John’s hill and down twice a week. Reward – Rangi Hut Trail
• Plant Rocket

July

• Squat challenge. Reward – Live music night at Delicious Café
• Go to Rainbow in my Head, Wellington, then get your reflection on.

August

• Ten minutes on the bike five times a week.
• Read a novel, buy a new one if you must...
• See what’s available and plant that!

September

• Bridge loop twice a week
• Take the uke, a drum, and Alice, and go make music in the park. Write about it, capture her in the piece.
• Plant pumpkin, strawberries, broccoli, potatoes

October

• Celebrate Alice’s birthday! Three years old!
• Plant tomato, carrot, sunflowers, capsicum

November

• Focus on Te Ara Reo Maori, you’re nearly there!
• Happy birthday to me…
• If possible, have a stall at Ashley Park Country Fair
• Plant spring onion, courgette, parsnip

December

• Plant kumara, herbs, and catch up
• Go to the beach, write about how the sand feels.
• Make Christmas gifts again, remember how much you enjoyed it last year?
• Collect up everything you've written this year and call yourself a writer, for goodness sake.

Specific? I think so. Measureable? Sure. They’re definitely action based. Realistic, too, for the most part – I’ve tried to be accurate in planting times with the vegies but this will all depend on space, availability, weather… but I’ll try my best! And it’s time bound for sure. Come December I’ll be ready to evaluate the effect this intentional living has had on my life. I gotta say, I’m pretty excited…