52 Weeks and 51 Letters – Make your goal count!
Interesting title, right? Being mostly a business blog, we don’t get too sappy around here usually. However, I think this is any important story to share.
52 weeks ago we sat down to make our goals for 2017.
The two of us, on New Years Day morning after being together for 16 years. We were barely 14 years old when we started sitting on my parent’s couch and going to dinner with them every Saturday. Why? Because well… we couldn’t drive yet. Here we were one marriage, two precious boys, about to buy our second house, and 16 years later. 16 years is a long time for a couple of 29 year olds.
Lets be honest, we are like any other married couple, perfectly imperfect. We’ve made a lot of mistakes and have had many arguments, but somehow we had made it 16 years.
As we sat at our kitchen table across from each other with our mole skin notebooks, we started spitting out our goals for the year. “Pay off the car!” “Lose some weight.” “Teach our youngest to pee in the potty!” (I’m pretty sure the last one has been our biggest challenge of the year by far.)
I don’t think I will ever forget the moment when Denver looked at me and said: “I am going to write you a letter every week this year.”
“Really?” I said surprised. “Yes.” he told me.
To be honest, I didn’t really think he would do it. I figured it would be one of those goals where you set it and just like going to the gym, you slowly…. stop……. going.
As the year started, I got one letter, then the next week I got another, and then it became something I looked forward to every Thursday. As I got my last letter this week I realized how special it is to have someone do something for you every week. In my case write you something from the heart. A labor of love.
I’m sharing this not to say “woah, look at us!” I’m writing it to say, sit down with your significant other this long weekend.
Think about what it is you want for your future.
What can you improve on? How do you want your life to be different next year. Set a goal to help the two of you come together.
Maybe a huge issue in your house are finances. Come up with a plan to get out of debt this year. Or maybe you are a workaholic. Set a goal to take a vacation with your family. Or maybe it may just be to write your significant other a letter every week.
When Denver first started writing the letters, I would get them on random days. As the year started going on it became that I received the letter every Thursday.
In the beginning you have to find your rhythm.
Whatever you pick may not be perfect at first and you may not have a perfect plan other than to get it done. Finding the rhythm and consistency to work your plan to reach your goals is key. Once Denver found the day he wanted to give me the letter, we both remembered. He remembered every Wednesday night to write me a letter because it became a part of his routine. I would be looking for the letter by the time I went to bed every Thursday night. Consistency is key. Having someone to help keep you accountable is the other piece to the puzzle.
So why did you receive 51 letters instead of 52?
Back in October, Denver lost his grandmother. During that week, I did not get a letter. It was a sad and crazy busy week. That Wednesday night our house was full of family and that Thursday we spent celebrating her life. That week, we both forgot about the letter. Sometimes we fall off the horse with our goals. Sometimes life gets crazy and we forget. That is just life. What matters is that we get back on the horse and start riding again. If you forget or get off track one week, it is okay! Just get back on as soon as possible.
This weekend, we challenge you!
We challenge you to sit down and write out our 2018 goals. Some folks call them resolutions. Either way, sit down and write them down. If you have a spouse or children, sit down with them and write them together! You will have so much fun 52 weeks later seeing what goals you made and how far you have come in the past 52 weeks.
Going to make your goals? Check out our other post on goals and resolutions!