Close Menu
    What's Hot

    CNY Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten Guide

    May 1, 2025

    How to Develop ‘Momfidence’

    April 30, 2025

    Helping Your Child Cope with Seasonal Allergies

    April 29, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • How to Develop ‘Momfidence’
    • Helping Your Child Cope with Seasonal Allergies
    • Fostering Healthy Sibling Relationships
    • How to Find the Right Summer Sitter
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    Family Times Family Times
    • Community Guide
    • CNY Events Calendar
    • Things to Do in CNY
      1. Activities
      2. Treat Yourself
      Featured

      Treat Yourself: Mark your calendar for Disney’s “The Lion King”—and the other Broadway shows coming to Syracuse in 2025

      By Courtney KlessNovember 26, 20240
      Recent

      Treat Yourself: Mark your calendar for Disney’s “The Lion King”—and the other Broadway shows coming to Syracuse in 2025

      November 26, 2024

      Ride the Rails: Scenic Train Rides for Families

      October 1, 2024

      Treat Yourself: Spend a day—or a weekend—exploring Inlet

      October 1, 2024
    • Parenting
      1. Pregnancy
      2. Babies
      3. Kids
      4. Preschoolers/Toddlers
      5. Special Needs
      6. Teens
      7. Pets
      8. View All

      The Power to Save a Life: Cord blood is being used to treat more than 80 diseases

      January 30, 2020

      It’s Not What It Looks Like: Reflections on motherhood’s changes, outside and inside

      July 29, 2019

      In Search of Sleep: 8 Strategies for coping with wakeful babies

      July 29, 2019

      A Surgical Birth: Many pregnant women are likely to deliver by cesarean

      July 29, 2019

      Strangers Bearing Advice: New babies bring out the expert in everyone

      August 1, 2021

      Hand to Mouth: How to help babies start to sample solid food

      August 1, 2020

      315 Bulletin

      August 1, 2020

      Name, Please? Expectant parents face another momentous decision

      August 1, 2020

      Prep Work: Keep your family’s food safe this summer

      June 1, 2022

      A Blooming Craft: These homemade flowers make a great centerpiece

      March 1, 2021

      Rainbow Snowflakes: A colorful craft even little ones can make

      November 24, 2020

      DIY Critter Magnets: Make cute clips for hanging reminders and more

      September 1, 2020

      DIY Critter Magnets: Make cute clips for hanging reminders and more

      September 1, 2020

      Allergy Adjustments: Parents can support their food allergic child

      September 3, 2019

      Calming Commotion: How to deal with car sickness and more

      June 27, 2019

      Introducing Riff Rockit: Kindie artist to play jingles at Leon Fest

      June 1, 2017

      What Is ABA Therapy for Autism? How To Find a Provider for Your Child 

      September 9, 2024

      A History of Inclusion: The Jowonio School marked 50 years in 2019

      March 30, 2020

      Reaching a Milestone: Now the largest chapter in the country, Special Olympics New York is celebrating 50 years

      March 30, 2020

      Come Out and Play: Move Along offers adaptive sports for youth, adults

      March 30, 2020

      Freedom on Wheels: How E-Scooters Empower Teens and Support Family Routines

      November 4, 2024

      Prep Work: Keep your family’s food safe this summer

      June 1, 2022

      A Little Jolt: Caffeine’s risks for kids and teens

      March 1, 2021

      A Blooming Craft: These homemade flowers make a great centerpiece

      March 1, 2021

      Is Puppy Financing Right For Your Family? Pros And Cons Explored

      April 22, 2024

      Furry Friends: What it takes to adopt a pet for the first time

      July 1, 2020

      Tail Wagging Fun: Lights on the Lake Dog Walk 2019

      November 14, 2019

      Uncommon Companions: Local pet store sticks to its niche

      May 30, 2019

      Helping Your Child Cope with Seasonal Allergies

      April 29, 2025

      College Savings 101

      April 29, 2025

      Fostering Healthy Sibling Relationships

      March 28, 2025

      The 8 Best Sunscreens for Kids: Top Picks for Every Need

      March 3, 2025
    • Education
      1. Educator of the Month
      2. Class of the Month
      3. Education News
      4. Reading
      5. Teaching
      Featured

      Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways

      By Courtney KlessApril 29, 20250
      Recent

      Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways

      April 29, 2025

      Tom Meier, Program Manager and Camp Director at Baltimore Woods Nature Center

      March 28, 2025

      Danielle Maciorowski, PharmD, Manager of Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY’s Patient Rx Center

      February 27, 2025
    • Crafts & DIY
      • Create
      • Holiday Crafts
    Family Times Family Times
    Home»Crafts & DIY»For the Record: Writing goals down brings them within reach
    Crafts & DIY

    For the Record: Writing goals down brings them within reach

    Lisa Barnes DolbearBy Lisa Barnes DolbearJanuary 2, 2018Updated:August 17, 2018No Comments4 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    As a fitness instructor, I know that health and wellness play a major part in fresh starts. I see the gym packed with new people in January, and I notice their energy as they feel the exercise high for the first time.

    It’s a hopeful time, but it’s also a mere moment in time, since many of these people will be gone by March. Health and wellness goals are some of the hardest to stay committed to because they usually require changing behavior. What’s more, progress can be slow at the start, with little to show for your efforts.

    This presents a challenge: How does one reconfigure routines in order to remain engaged and motivated?

    For a start, writing things down can help, according to a psychology professor at the Dominican University in California. Gail Matthews has studied practices in goal setting. In one study, she followed the behavior of 267 people divided into two groups: those who wrote down their goals and those who didn’t. She concluded that those who wrote goals down and reported progress to a friend were 42 percent more likely to achieve them.

    It doesn’t have to take a lot of time to record your goals; it can be as simple as drafting a few key statements to sum them up. Or you can choose an online app to guide you through the process.

    Single mom and aspiring fitness and figure competitor Megan Townsend, who lives in Marcellus, starts each year with a visual reminder of what she wants to accomplish.

    “I make a board that states my top goals: how much money I want to save, my fitness goals, etc.,” she says. “Sometimes it’s just a picture, other times it can be an inspirational quote. I put it in a place where I’ll see it every day and it serves as a constant reminder to stay focused.”

     

     

    Declaring your intentions and desires through writing or vision boards is also a way to experience progress in the moment. Framing a workout plan for the week or spending time cutting images from magazines to keep you inspired from one day to the next are simple ways to stay engaged with the goal. For example, if you’re trying to lose weight, you might not see the numbers on the scale change right away, but you can swap in an inspirational quote or try a new workout immediately. That can help keep your goal feeling fresh and exciting.

    Marissa DeSantis, of DeWitt, is a mother of two toddlers. She uses a goal-setting concept from her work as an accounting manager for a trade association. “I make sure my goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. At work, we refer to this idea with the acronym SMART goals. It may seem cheesy, but I’ve found if I apply those same criteria to my personal goals, I’m more successful in achieving them.

    “I live by the to-do list and inspiration boards, using both tangible and digital ways to note what I want to accomplish and how I’ll get it done. It’s about finding a way to connect all the parts together to get the bigger picture. Having inspiration boards around keeps me mindful of what I want to accomplish.”

    I used a similar strategy while training for my first Ironman, which is a triathlon consisting of 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of cycling and 26.2 miles of running. I broke down my goal into several small steps and mapped them out on a bulletin board in my office.

    The process forced me to think about what it would really take to make progress week after week throughout the year, and manage my needs around other areas of my life. Each week I sat in front of that board with a stack of index cards and Post-it notes, charting out the “mini-course” for the week, knowing it was part of a bigger picture.

    When I completed a workout, I drew a huge X through it, and took great satisfaction in seeing that I was meeting these mini-goals day after day. It was a way for me to make the prospect of completing a 140.6-mile race seem less daunting and more doable with each week.

    Whether you’re plotting a series of mini-goals to a bigger dream, or crafting a vision board, the important thing to remember is that this act is the first step in your journey. Every step marks a change in your behavior and mindset, leading to success in the new year.

    Crafts First Person Goal Setting Learning
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Tumblr Email
    Lisa Barnes Dolbear

    Related Posts

    The 50 Best Documentaries for Kids

    April 24, 2025

    A Recycled Creation

    January 31, 2025

    Seven Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Your Kids

    January 29, 2025
    Flip Through Our Latest Issue!
    Stay In Touch
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    Top Posts

    2025 Summer Camp Guide

    April 1, 2025729 Views

    DIY: Make your own vibrant, paper fans in only a few easy steps

    July 1, 2020528 Views

    Host a Kid-Friendly Friendsgiving Party

    November 1, 2024407 Views

    CNY Day Camp Directory

    March 31, 2023355 Views

    Family Times Magazine publishes a digital magazine highlighting events, businesses, and content to inform and entertain families here in Central New York. Sign up for our twice monthly newsletter to have the magazine and other featured content.
    ____

    Email Us: [email protected]
    Contact: 1.315.422.7011

    Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn RSS
    Our Picks

    Fall Activities Guide

    October 1, 2024
    Most Popular

    2025 Summer Camp Guide

    April 1, 2025729 Views

    DIY: Make your own vibrant, paper fans in only a few easy steps

    July 1, 2020528 Views

    Host a Kid-Friendly Friendsgiving Party

    November 1, 2024407 Views
    © 2025 Family Times, CNY. Designed by Crossroads Marketing.
    • Our Authors
    • Archives
    • Things to do around Syracuse and CNY: Local Events Calendar
    • Advertising

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.