Firstly, I must say thank you to everyone who has sent me the most amazing messages of support since my first Wobbly entry. My plan is to write a weekly diary and then during the week also write a post giving practical tips that you have given me and also other bits and pieces I’ve drawn inspiration from. I am not an expert, obviously, so with anything health, mind, goal related please seek professional help. This Wobbly project of mine is designed to encourage women like me to share their stories, cheer each other on and swap tips based on personal experiences.

Wobbly is not not something I’m doing to fish for compliments, although they have been so very overwhelming to receive and I must say Wendy Harmer’s awesome pep talk she gave me Sunday afternoon, which ended with me surrendering to relaxation with a glass of wine in hand, was timely and, to be honest, a little surreal. She ended up publishing my post here on The Hoopla with a gorgeous, reality check, introduction written by her to me. This whole goal setting of mine is not because I see myself as lacking it’s really to motivate myself to stop procrastinating and most importantly be healthier and more productive.

I’ve had some of the most amazing advice over the past couple of days. I’ll share some of it with you today and the rest in other posts. I don’t want to cram it all in at once.

Here’s the top five tips for finding time:

Wobbly – Tips on Finding Time.

1) Wake up before your children.

Ruth Bruten, the beautiful woman who writes the blog Gourmet Girlfriend, has been on a similar journey over the past year. She has five spunky boys and I often wonder how she finds any time for herself. This is how: “For me, that means getting up super early before anyone else in my house is awake. I get up (during school terms) at 5.30am and exercise for 30 minutes every single day and then make myself a delicious high protein, zero carbs breakfast. My breakfasts (usually solo, without the kids) are my everyday gift to myself – a way of congratulating myself on putting myself FIRST. It is such an empowering way to start the day. Sets me up to be able to give a little more as I know I have looked after me.”

I also love this list that Planning with Kids’ Nicole Avery popped up on her Facebook page recently. And for the writers out there – this post, about embracing 6am, from the New York Times is awesome.

2) Start with small changes.

Kelly Exeter is a whizz when it comes to setting goals and time management. She advises: “My #1 tip … only try to change one thing at a time and give yourself a month. I know whenever I want to make big changes in my life, I’ve tried to make them all at once. And that’s never worked for me. Not ever. Those small steps add up pretty quickly to very big things.”  You can read more of her awesome wisdom here at her blog A Life Less Frantic and in her soon to be released e-book Your Best Year Yet. I might get her to write a guest post for me soon (what do you think Kelly?!).

Like Kelly, Lisa Lintern, from Melodramatic Me, makes small changes: “I think making small but consistent changes so they become a natural, or a habitual part of your life is what works. That way you will feel like you are making ‘tweaks’ to your life, not drastic withdrawals, and soon the things you once thought you couldn’t live without will stop entering your mind. When I need a health kick I start by simply cutting out sugar in my tea.”

3) Be more realistic about what you can achieve.

My awesome friend Olivia sent me the best email with some fab advice in it. This is just part of it: “I just feel like you really are being so hard on yourself, there’s so many things on your list, but it isn’t practical. How can a list be helpful to you if you can’t tick things off? Otherwise, in a way it’s just a list of things you don’t really like about yourself and that’s just rubbish talk!! I feel kinda dorky saying this, but I always try to use the SMART method for goal setting – Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic and Timely. I’m sure you’ve heard of it! But if not, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_criteria.”

And as Wendy kindly reminded me on the phone: “Most of these things on your list you already do. I mean braver? BRAVER!? You are one of the most bravest people I know. How much braver can you be? What are you going to do  – lay on the road? And anyway who are you trying to prove yourself to? It’s not like there’s a committee called the Bianca Committee which sits around judging your performance every day out of 10. It doesn’t exist.”

4) Set daily goals.

Grey Mouse wrote: “Here’s my anti-procrastination plan that I still stick to: Make a written list of things you really should do each day, even like ‘phone Susan/whoever’ as well as onerous tasks like ‘iron school dresses’ or ‘prepare beginnings of dinner’ and so on. Then take great delight in scratching them off the list as they’re done. Have a definite cut off point for how many items on the list have to be completed before you have that cup of coffee.”

5) Just do it.

Regular reader Reannon says: “I think there’s nothing wrong with writing a list ( or 20) just remember to read it regularly. Stick that list next to your bed, or on your bathroom mirror. And maybe make smaller lists of how you think you can accomplish each goal. How will you lose weight? On your own, with a trainer or by using something like weight watchers/Jenny Craig/lite n easy? You want to write more ? Have more sex? Just do it!!! There’s no point in planning them, just do it. Once you start you won’t want to stop.”

Have you got any more tips that help you achieve your daily/weekly/long term goals?

bigwords x