Anyone else struggling with the winter and the delightful weather we’re having recently? I know I shouldn’t complain but my god this rain and wind is starting to get to me now.
Working full time and having five horses in (plus three horses which are turned out that need to be fed and watered every day) is hard at the best of time but all this rain, wind and mud is beginning to take its toll.
I keep fantasising about winning the lottery and what I would do if I had the money to build a set-up where I didn’t have to get wet or muddy…. Unfortunately that’s never going to happen and I need to stop dreaming so back to planning the year ahead…!
Other than wishing it was spring and that all the mud would disappear, I’m busy planning the year and setting myself lots of little goals to achieve during the year for each of my horses.
I feel setting lots of small achievable gals is a good way of achieving my main goal and eventually reaching my ultimate goals. There’s no point setting unachievable goals as this will only dishearten you!
One method I like to use to set my achievable goals is by setting SMART goals:
Specific – making the goal clear, specific and focused.
Measurable – measure your goals so you can track your progress and meet deadlines.
Achievable – make sure your goal is realistic, is it doable?
Realistic – what you can realistically achieve
Timely – every goal needs a target date or a deadline to work towards.
Over the years, I’ve found this is the best way to plan the year ahead. I used to just “wing it” and ended up missing certain qualifications or ended up rushing around to try and get my last few qualifying points all stressed.
I used to get very disheartened if I didn’t achieve my goals but I’ve learnt over the years that your goals have to be flexible and at the end of the day if you don’t achieve them it’s not the end of the world.
I’d love to hear how you go about planning your year and how you go about setting/achieving your goals
Laura x