Goals Archives - My Inner Shakti

January Goals Review

Hello strangers! It’s been over a month since I’ve posted here. I don’t think that’s happened in 10+ years.

With MIS IG posts + Awarify IG posts and the newsletter, I’m finding it hard to keep up. Believe it or not, I even thought about giving up this space altogether. But I just couldn’t do it!

I think the key for me to keep posting here is taking all the pressure off. Even if I’m just popping in to say hi and share a quick life update, I’m going to do it. There’s so much happening this year, and I want it to be documented here. Wish me luck!

The biggest update I have is that we’re moving to Atlanta! We’re going home…this summer! Vishnu found a great job there, so it’s officially official now. Woo hoo! I can’t wait. Although all the packing and unpacking has me like…I wish I could snap my fingers and be there!

So more about that to come!

Ok, my January goals! I set some pretty specific (re: quantifiable) goals for the month because over time I’ve learned that just saying I want to ‘drink more water’ or ‘spend less time on IG’ isn’t helpful nor does it keep me accountable.

So here are my goals and how I fared…

Goal 1 – 10k + steps every day – I think I met this goal most days this month except for a handful. The secret? Indoor walking. Some mornings when I can’t make myself turn on a YouTube/Peloton workout video, I put my headphones in and walk around the apartment. I also turn some of my daily meetings into walking meetings. Super proud of myself for reaching this one!

Goal 2 – Drink 80 oz + of water a day – I achieved this goal every day except one. How do I know this? Because I woke up with a tremendous headache the next morning. Oofta! Not fun at all. That alone keeps me accountable to get that H2O in. The key here is to keep a huge glass/water bottle near you at all times. As soon as it’s empty, get up and refill it.

Goal 3 – Read 21 minutes every day – I think I met this goal most days. And I forgave myself on the days I didn’t because some days I definitely read for more than 21 minutes. I shared on IG that I shifted my reading goal this year from a certain number of books read to 21 minutes of reading time daily. I’m enjoying this much more, so that’s a win! I also finished ‘A Promised Land‘ and ‘Untamed.’ Not too shabby! The key here is set aside 21 minute chunk of your day to read. Schedule it in the way you would a meeting.

Goal 4 – <100 minutes of IG every day – I definitely didn’t meet this goal every day, BUT if you looked at my time spent on IG in months past, you’d see a HUGE improvement/change. This goal alone has changed so much for me. I may share a separate post about this soon because I think it’s important to take a deeper dive. The key here is self-control. I know, probably not what most want to hear, but trust me, it gets easier with time. The only days I totally went WAY over was the days surrounding the Capitol riots. Understandable, I think. But other than that, I’ve been right at that 100 minute limit or close to it. My sister’s keeping me accountable (I send her a screenshot of my total minutes spent on the app at the end of the day).

And that, in a nutshell, are my January goals. I’m going to stick with the same ones for February because I want to them to stick more and become a natural part of my day vs. goals I have to meet…if that makes sense.

I hope y’all had a good January! Did you set any specific goals for the month? Did you meet them?

No portion of this post is sponsored. However, affiliate links are included. There is no extra cost to you, but I do receive a small commission on anything you buy through my links. Thank you for reading and supporting My Inner Shakti!

My 2020 Word – Intentional

written by Parita Leave a Comment

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have happened to catch that I shared my 2020 word of the year. At the time, it was surrender. After much thought, I came to the conclusion that surrender didn’t meet my goals for the year. For how I wanted to speak, act, think, relate, etc. But intentional, as broad of a word as it is, definitely does.

A little context

Let me back up a little. I love everything about the new year. The clean slate. The opportunity to set goals and hopefully achieve them over the next 12 months. January is also my birthday month so there’s that too!

With that being said, I found that the resolutions I made every year were really just micro goals. What I wanted was a guiding principle. Something I could remind myself with when I got off track or needed a little kick in the butt. That’s when I decided to declare a word of the year every January. That word would fit my goals and overall desire for the year. The one that comes to mind from previous years is patience. That should probably be my word every year. Haha!

Why intentional?

Ok, so why intentional? Well, I want to be more purposeful/purpose driven in 2020. Whether it’s about what I’m eating, how I’m working out, how much time I’m spending on my phone, and most important, how I’m spending my time with Vishnu and Kaiden. I want the majority of my thoughts, words, and actions to be intentional and purposeful.

An example

I know it won’t be possible for every single thing I do, but 80% of the time, I want to have a clear intention behind why I’m choosing to do something or why I’m not choosing to do something. The best example of this comes with food. I often just eat because I like to or because something is available. Cookie? Sure. Cheese plate? Would love to? Wine? Duh. I know it sounds silly, but I’m not someone who gives a lot of thought to how much I’m eating or how mindfully I’m eating. And while it hasn’t caused any complications just yet, I did see how that mindlessness manifested itself over the past month or two. I want to have clear intentions for why I’m choosing to eat something, how much I’m choosing to eat, etc. I want to be a more intuitive eater, and I think having a very clear intention when it comes to food will help.

Like I said, the best and most clear cut example I have is in regards to food, but intentionality applies to everything.

I truly believe when it comes to our day-to-day life, we either run it or it runs us. And when you’re intentional about your thoughts, words, and actions, YOU are leading your life in the direction you want to take it and not vice versa.

One of the reasons I went with a Passion Planner this year is to help me stay intentional and plan my time out accordingly. It all makes sense now!

Tell me – do you do the whole resolution thing or do you opt for a word to help guide you? Please share regardless!

The Promise of a New Year

written by Parita Leave a Comment

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I’m one of those walking cliches who loves the New Year. I’m all about January 1. If nothing else, it’s the promise it brings that excites me. January is also my birthday month, and there’s something about turning a year older at the start of the year that puts you in a ‘get my shit together’ mode!

If I’m being honest, I also love Mondays and the 1st of any month. The whole idea of a clean slate gets me every time!

I shared on Instagram a few posts back that my intention for 2019 is to take care of myself better, chose myself every day, and ultimately, ‘come home.’

In terms of the how, I plan to be better about managing my time so I have more time for me – to read, to write, to cook more complicated meals, to connect with Vishnu and friends/family, etc. I’ve lacked focus in the last year or so, and I plan to work on that so I can do the things that bring me joy. I’ll share more as I refocus (lol!) myself.

In terms of goals (because, yes, I set those too!), I have a few that I want to work on throughout the year (see below). These are more so focused on daily habits and intentions. And then for bigger projects, I’m setting monthly goals. For example, in January, I’d like to tackle our file folder box thingy. It’s overflowing and filled with very old files and paperwork. Need to get that thing in order!

Ok, so as far as my daily goals/habits are concerned, here they are…

Drink ~80 oz of water every day.
No technology 30 minutes before bed and within 30 minutes of waking.
Go to bed by 10 pm every night and wake up before Kaiden (weekends are the exception).
Decrease sugar and dairy consumption (consider ‘worth it’ moments). More to come on this one very soon!
Speak and think as positively as possible. Good things are happening (even when you can’t ‘see’ them) and challenges are temporary. Look for the silver lining.

I think all of these are pretty doable. I’ll share more throughout the year on my progress.

And finally, I have a few goals in terms of this blog and my MIS Instagram page. Honestly, the biggest thing I want to accomplish is sharing other people’s stories. I’m one person with a limited view, and there are so many other inspiring and amazing people out there with meaningful life stories. And I want to share those! Be on the lookout.

Other than that, I plan to continue to share with as much authenticity as possible. I love following and connecting with others who are raw and open, so in 2019, I want to bring more of that to my platforms. Life’s too short to only share the pretty slices of pie!

From the very bottom of my heart, thank you for reading and following MIS! Let’s make 2019 a great year!

2018 Mantra + Intentions

written by Parita 1 Comment

Hello and happy 2018! I can hardly believe the new year is upon us…but it is, and here we are!

Personally, I’m excited about this year and hopeful it will bring lots of adventure, growth, and joy into our lives (and the lives of others). And if the past couple of days are any indication, it’s going to be a chaotic one. For one, Kaiden starts daycare on Monday, so that in and of itself should be fun and…interesting! Hoping he transitions well. Aside from the day to day, we also have some fun travel plans on the horizon. 2018 is gearing up to be busy!

2018 mantra

Speaking of chaotic, my 2018 mantra is to embrace the chaos. This is what I plan to repeat to myself throughout the year when things get cray (good and bad).

I chose this mantra because despite my best efforts I’ve never been great at letting go of things out of my control and really staying present when life doesn’t go my way. Instead, I tend to revert to stress and anxiety and snappiness. No bueno!

Also, as a new mom, I really want to enjoy ALL aspects of motherhood because none of it lasts forever. And despite how trying some parts of this journey are I want to embrace every single bit of it. Of course, the good stuff is easy to enjoy. The not so good…not so much! I’m hoping this mantra will help make it somewhat easier.

So in 2018, I’m going to embrace the chaos when it comes to motherhood, work, and life in general.

2018 intentions

This year, instead of setting resolutions, I’m setting intentions. For me the difference lies in how limiting resolutions are. There’s no flexibility in how you apply your resolution. You either do it or you don’t. Intentions are a bit deeper and much more powerful. They speak to a way of being. I like that!

Self-care – I intend to take better care of myself this year. And I’m not talking about food and exercise. For the most part, I think I have that part under control. I’m talking about a deeper level of self-care. I want to work harder on managing my stress levels and allowing others to help me as and when needed. I’m not the best at asking for and accepting help, but I (and Vishnu) think it would help me manage my mental load a lot better.
Use of time – I plan to be more intentional with how I use my time in 2018. In the past 6 months, I haven’t been the best about using my time in a productive way that serves both what needs to happen and what I want to do. For example, I haven’t read (and finished) a book in what feels like forever. Not ok! This intention should help reduce the stupid amount of time I spend on Instagram as well. 🙂
Prayer and meditation – I’m a huge believer in the power of prayer. And while I’m always taking a minute or two to pray throughout the day (mostly for what I’m grateful for), I want to create a more intentional prayer and meditation practice. I’ve been trying unsuccessfully for years to meditate, but seeing how my focus this year is to embrace the chaos and take better care of myself, I’m going to make it happen!

I plan to check in about my mantra and intentions in a couple of months. Wish me luck!

Your turn – Do you have a 2018 mantra? Did you set resolutions or intentions? Tell me all about it. I love this kind of stuff!

Recent Happenings + August Goals

written by Parita 6 Comments

So it’s August. When did that happen? I know, I know. I say this every month, but for real…we are more than half way through 2016. Ahhh!

Blogging is…well, still the same! Every time I try to get some kind of schedule, my plans are thrown off (or I’m too tired to write a coherent post). I’m not sweating it too much though. I know I still want to blog. Now, it’s just making the time to write. I’ll get there.

In terms of other recent happenings…

We had a team lunch at St. Lou’s Assembly last week, and can I just say that my taste buds were so happy. The menu is full of soul food type items, and everything (I tried) was simple yet flavorful. I ordered the BBQ cauliflower + 3 sides (smashed potatoes, mac n’ cheese, and spicy tomato broccolini). Stick to your ribs good!

On Saturday, Vishnu and I drove to Indianapolis to visit his cousin. My favorite parts of our trip included playing with their 18 month old baby (soo cute!), watching movies in their home theater, and eating Moose Tracks ice cream. It was a fun but exhausting 24 hours (we stayed the night). Babies are adorable and very energetic little monkeys! I could hardly keep up.

Work is still going well. I think I’ve got a pretty good routine down (on most days). I wake up around 5:15, work out, shower/get ready, and head out by 7:15-7:30. Vishnu’s schedule varies because residency is comprised of 4 week long rotations so every month is different. He’s enjoying his field and learning a ton.

In terms of workouts, I’ve been all over the place. Basically, I do whatever sounds good. Given the day, this may involve the treadmill, the elliptical, weights, Barre3 Online, or Jillian Michaels workouts. It’s not as structured of an approach as I’d like, but every little bit counts, and that’s what I’m going for.

Surprisingly, given all of the amazing restaurants in the city, we haven’t really ventured out yet. I told Vishnu that we need to chat this ASAP, especially before it starts to cool down (hoping we have a little bit of time!). I’ll be sure to share my favorite hot spots as soon as I find them!

And in one final super important update [sense the sarcasm], JoJo (the Bachelorette) picked Jordan (if you didn’t know, he’s Aaron Rodgers brother…haha). While I didn’t watch every week, I did enjoy the Bachelorette finale pizza night my coworker Erin hosted. It was fun talking all things politics, life, and the Bachelorette! I’m not convinced that JoJo and Jordan are going to last, but who knows!

Other than that, life is pretty much the same old! We’re just enjoying life and taking things day by day. 🙂

August Goals

I stopped blogging about my monthly goals at the start of the summer. Things were crazy at that time, and I felt like I wasn’t giving my all to achieve the goals that I did set. Well, that’s about to change in August!

I’m keeping it super simple to start [back] with…

GOAL 1 – Drink 60 ounces of water a day. All is well in my world when I drink enough water, and I’ve been slacking a bit lately. 60 ounces is totally doable and very necessary, so I’m doing it!

GOAL 2 – No checking work emails first thing in the morning. I don’t know why I put myself through this every morning. My alarm goes off, I grab my phone, and my finger gravitates to the envelope. Enough is enough! Checking work emails first thing in the morning is stress inducing, and I need to stop. I should, at the very least, give my mind time to catch up to my body before stressing myself out!

Well, wish me luck! And HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

Your turn – did you watch this season of the Bachelorette? Thoughts on the newly engaged couple? What goals are you trying to conquer this month?

May 2016 Goals

written by Parita 5 Comments

These monthly goal posts sneak up on me! I feel like I just shared my April goals yesterday.

So as was the case last month, April wasn’t a total fail. To put a positive spin on things, I was about 50% successful!

My two goals included:

Being in bed (lights out) by 10 pm Sunday-Thursday.
Taking my SLR for a spin once every weekend in April.

I was on target with goal #1 most days. The tricky thing about April was that Vishnu was on nights for most of it. And I don’t sleep well when he’s not around. In fact, I slept horribly last month. Regardless of the time I went to bed, I would be wide awake anywhere between 1-4 am. THIS SUCKED! My ultimate mission with goal #1 was to sleep better, and unfortunately, I didn’t accomplish that. On the other hand, I was in bed by 10 pm more nights than not, so that’s a win, right?

Goal #2 flat out didn’t happen. Not even once. I think I’ll revisit that one once we get to Chicago!

With that, I’m rethinking how I structure my goals in both May and June. We have so much going on, and I don’t want to keep setting myself up for failure. I want my goals to be both doable and helpful.

Here’s what I want to accomplish in May:

Write in my Thankful Thoughts journal every day. This is both doable (I’m fairly consistent already but not where I want to be) and calming (thinking about the wonderful little things in my life always puts me in a better, more calm mood).
Spend 30 uninterrupted minutes every day doing Parita things. This goal is doable and very necessary. And just for the record, things that count – reading, blogging, going for a walk, and things that do not count – cleaning and cooking.

Let’s hope I come out of May actually feeling accomplished. Wish me luck!

Did you set May goals? What’s one big thing you’re currently working on?

Three Things Thursday – April Goals, a New Book, and Nail Polish

written by Parita 4 Comments

Three Things Thursday is back! Well, kind of. Salma and Nisha decided to make TTT a monthly thing. And guess what…they asked me to be a guest hostess for the month of April. Thanks, ladies!

Today, we’re going to talk about my April goals, my latest book, and a beautiful new-to-me nail polish that would look good on everyone. Let’s get started!

One — April goals

So I wouldn’t say my March goals were a total fail, buuuuttt they weren’t a success. If you recall, the two things I set out to do were 1. be in bed (lights out) by 10 pm on Sunday-Thursday and 2. take my SLR out for a spin once every weekend. Let’s just say those two things didn’t happen as often as I would’ve liked. Oops!

With that, I’m recommitting to my March goals in April. But this past weekend does NOT count for obvious reasons! 🙂

I’m not travelling again (via an airplane at least) until the end of the month, so I think these two goals are very doable. Wish me luck!

Two — my latest book

I’m slowly making my way through Gretchen Rubin’s books, albeit a little out of order! I really liked The Happiness Project and absolutely loved Better Than Before and am now making my way through Happier at Home.

So far, it reminds me a lot of The Happiness Project in that Gretchen takes on a new project except this one is based on creating more happiness in the home. I really like her voice and find it engaging. And even if I don’t always agree with her, I do seem to walk away with lots of new insights!

Three — Nail Polish

When I was at Target a few weeks ago, I somehow (!) found myself in front of the Essie nail polish display. My gaze settled on the nude shades because two of them were marked with an Allure beauty award sticker. As luck would have it, both shades were sold out.

That brings me to this past Monday. I had a $3 off coupon for CVS in my wallet and Essie nail polish on my mind! Thankfully, CVS didn’t fail me. The Ballet Slippers shade was available for me to purchase!

I can see why this shade won an award. It’s the perfect whitish/pinkish nude, and I really do think this would look good on everyone. If you’re in the market for a beautiful neutral polish, Ballet Slippers is it.

Well, that’s all I have for you today! As always, thanks for reading.

If you’re a blogger, write a post and link back to any of the following blogs: Parita @ My Inner Shakti, Nisha @ Love Laugh Mirch, or Salma @ The Write Balance. Be sure to share a link to your post and not your blog’s home page.

No portion of this post is sponsored. However, there are a few affiliate links included. There is no extra cost to you, but I do receive a small commission on anything you buy through my links. Thank you for reading and supporting My Inner Shakti!

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