I am about to say a four-letter word. For the squeamish, cover your ears.
Goal.
Somewhere along the way, we have taken the acronym for setting goals from SMART to SMUT: Specific, Measurable, Unachievable, and Time-Based.
I am tired of SMUT.
This year, I am setting out with achievable goals, like speaking a few times a month instead of 475 days a year.
I have seen this work with my weight. A few years ago, I lost 35 pounds and, give or take the obligatory 5 pounds during the holidays, I have kept it off. How?
My husband calls it the incredible Buttered Popcorn and Red Wine Diet.
I have a tendency to act in PASS or FAIL mentality. For food, I either have to eat perfectly with absolutely no sugar, wheat, dairy or sweeteners in my food, or I fail. There are no 50 shades of gray for me.
A few years ago with my diet, I tried something radical. Something edgy. Something extreme.
I let myself break the rules.
By allowing myself my favorite dessert, buttered popcorn and red wine (quite the foodie and sommelier, right?), I was able to stick to my new healthy lifestyle choices.
My goal changed from eating perfectly 100% of the time (a SMUTty goal if ever there was one) to enjoying my healthy eating with an occasional “good for my heart” glass of wine. (Let’s not bring up the butter, please.)
I let myself have a DO OVER when it came to eating. I had been doing weight loss over and over and over again. I think this time, we may have a winner.
Are you ready for a DO OVER?
I stalk—ahem, read—this funny speaker/author/husband/father named Jon Acuff. He’s “New York Times bestseller” kind of cool. And he follows me on Twitter. (Please do not mention that he follows 74,000 others on Twitter. Let me have my moment. ) So, I am giving some great prizes away to usher in my newly revamped DO OVER website with Jon’s new book DO OVER in mind!
TWENTY hardcover books will be awarded, one to TWENTY winners. How do you enter? Just sign up for my newsletter and you are eligible to win. Yeah, it’s bribery. Here’s the rub: his book doesn’t come out until April 7, so you have to be subscribed on April 7th to qualify. Sign up for the newsletter now, and here’s hoping that you won’t unsubscribe on April 8th, but that’s my job: to give you value to stay along for the ride.
THREE WINNERS will get a coaching call with Jon Acuff! It will be a 30-minute group mastermind call, just the 4 of us (yeah, I’m keeping one of the spots for myself!). I’ll bring the virtual buttered popcorn and red wine; you bring the ideas. To be eligible for this one, you have one more task to do besides sign up for the newsletter: comment on any of my posts. You can even comment on this one.
Are you ready for a DO OVER in any part of your life? I know I am!
Let’s embrace the mindset of buttered popcorn and wine together!
Love, love, LOVE this!!!! I’m so bad about setting goals — because I too often expect so much of myself that I let myself down… and then I quit… I look forward to reading your posts!
Thanks, Annemarie! I do the same thing: expect too much and then fail. Let’s ban all SMUT goals from here on out!
TWO THUMBS UP!
I dont like all or nothing. I like to take a bad habit and get rid of them one at a time. One Goliath at a time is more like it. I love this www site (looking around) I like what you’ve done here
Wow. Impressive. Take down that Goliath! And thanks for looking around!
Congratulations on your new endeavor! Keep up the hustle! You’re amazing!
Thanks, Jana! You are pretty amazing yourself!
Love this! Great site! I set my goal for this year to specifically have NO goals. Well, not ANY goals, but no exercise goals. The temptation is great, but so far I’m staying true and haven’t signed up for anything exercise related.
Rebecca, once again you have inspired me and made me jealous at the same time. 🙂 Your website is ROCKING and I love your article, too. I am so glad I know you because you, AND NOW YOUR WEBSITE, make me a better Robbie! LOVE!!
Hey Rebecca!
You know I love you girl and all your beautiful, brilliant and silly ideas! I would love the Butter Popcorn and Red Wine diet. Two of my favorite things! I love your new blog and wish you much success. Bravo!
Rebecca Barth is an amazing women who I truly adore. Her commitment to helping women in a fresh new way is incredible to watch. She inspires, she motivates, she may sing to explain her story. Her heart and care is heartwarming ! Here’s to you friend.
lifestyle…a life with style..constant denial, withholding simple pleasures does not a happy person make! the virtual prison to restrict and deny all things that bring pleasure is a punishment…the goal for better food choices and fitness..is to enjoy a healthier life..its all about balance. Pass the butter.
Yeeeeees Rebecca you hit the nail on the head. Let’s do this thing… Except I unlike yourself am not such a healthy snacker my treat a week will be my mint chip bryers I’ve cream and a cup of hot chocolate because it is cold lol. Looooove you looooove this idea.
I’ve always enjoyed you, Rebecca and your fun, funny, upbeat personality! I’m horrible at making and sticking to goals! I’m never have or make the time to follow through! Therefore I gave up on them long ago! Lol sometimes I can keep little ones! I could use a ‘Do Over’!
Wish we could have some buttered popcorn together. Congrats on chasing your dreams!
Ok, this is one diet I am going to try after I get off my seven day cabbage soup diet to rid my body of toxin. I must say the cabbage soup has helped my inflammation from my fibro, feeling less pain but right now a bowl of buttered popcorn sound heavenly. Glad I stopped by..
I am glad you stopped by, too! Cabbage soup or buttered popcorn…decisions, decisions.
Always love your stories, sense of humor and lessons learned. You always use great humor to make a point.
Thanks so much, Sarah!~