My SMART goal remained the same this past week. It was: I will drink one bottled beverage per week.
This week, I achieved my goal! (oooah oooah)
I had overall success this week as I reached my goal. The only bottled beverage I had was a bottle of water after participating in my first ever 5K! I realized after that I could've brought my own water bottle to this event, but it slipped my mind. Still, that was my only bottled beverage for the week. I was even hesitant to take it because I knew that I had to limit myself. I am still faced with the challenge of wanting more flavor than just water, but I recently went out and bought some crystal light packets to mix in. Thanks to my blog group members for all of your wonderful suggestions! This really helped me to avoid the bottled beverages as I was able to make my own lemonade and my own fruit punch.
I felt great about reaching my goal, but I feel there is still room to improve. Even as I write this I am proud of myself because I used to drink so many bottled beverages without even thinking about it. I am hoping to reduce my consumption to ZERO bottled beverages in the near future. It feels awesome to know I am making a difference. I am also improving my own health because in avoiding bottled beverages, I am drinking less pop and juice the contains tons of sugar. It is great to reap the benefits.
This week, I learned that if you set your mind to it, you can do it. I made a conscious effort to reduce my consumption and spread the word to those around me. I thought that my friends might think I was weird, but they almost looked up to me like I was a trend setter or something like that. How great? I suppose this counts as mini-advocacy?!? Well, anyways, I learned the power of change and how much of an impact one person can really make.
Next week, I am going to make my goal: I will drink ZERO bottled beverages per week. This will make it more challenging but I think this is realistic for me and is a change I can make throughout the rest of my life. Wish me luck!
Review
My original SMART goal was: I will ride the bus to and from school 3 days per week. I ended up eventually meeting this goal, and continue to meet it. That is the main reason for me to switch my goal to: I will drink one bottled beverage per week (zero now). Both of these goals were challenging but realistic for my life.
The main thing that helped me be successful overall was reading what my group members were going through. Regardless of anyone's goal, we all had struggles and tips to help each other improve. It was great to have my own support group to go through the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change with! For my bus goal, it was helpful to carry the bus route schedule with me so that I wouldn't miss the bus. As far as bottled beverages go, my biggest success came when I purchased the crystal light packets to mix in. Water can taste boring to me, so I often fall into the trap of bottled beverages. This is something that I will have to continue to work at.
I benefited from this project in multiple ways. For the bus goal, I ended up "going green" while seeing the personal benefits. I saved TONS of gas money, did not have to start my car, did not have to scrape my car, and I did not have to worry about finding a parking spot (which we all know is a chore). It was great to have a little extra change each week and know that I was reducing my carbon footprint at the same time. My second goal also benefited me. I was able to drink more water and less pop which is just better for my body. Both of these goals benefited me in that, it gave me something to be proud of and a challenge to overcome. These goals weren't always easy, but man did it feel good to say I did it!
Others benefited from this too in the short and long term. Short term, I ended up teaching people about ways they can make a positive impact. In the long term, I ended up reducing my carbon footprint and the number of planets it would take to sustain the earth if everyone lived like me. In some way everyone benefits, whether it is now, or fifty years from now. Making these changes part of my life beyond this class will be the true test of its full benefits.
I will most definitely continue this behavior because it has been enjoyable to me and it is good for our planet. I intend to continue educating generations before me who are reluctant to change. It will be great to see where my family and friends are at this time next year.
My best advice would be to find that support system, whether it is a group of people, a sibling, a pet, or a parent, find SOMEONE who supports you. In order to go into behavior change, you can't just snap your fingers and make it happen, it takes dedication and work, but it is achievable. My last tidbit of advice would be don't get down on yourself if you don't succeed at first. Understand that you are human and that you have flaws (as do we all). Acknowledge the minor setback but look towards the future. Use setbacks as motivation for the next week.
