90 Days

Hey guys! Wow, I'm really excited about the amount of people that have joined. This is just a reminder that we are starting on MONDAY. However, if you haven't posted your goals yet, don't worry! You can post them whenever, even past the "official" start date. If you want to join in for the second or third sprint or whenever, that's totally fine! Or you don't even have to post them at all if you'd rather keep them private. (I do just recommend you have something written down somewhere at some point.)

I'm also working on getting some good resources together. One thing I have so far that I'm eager to start using is a weight tracking spreadsheet. So things like that... if you have something, let me know!

Also, I realized I haven't posted the timelines for our sprints. They are:

Sprint 1: May 19th to June 17th
Break 1: June 18th to June 22nd
Sprint 2: June 23rd to July 22nd
Break 2: July 23rd to July 27th
Sprint 3: July 28th to August 26th

As for how this is technically going to work, I will be posting a daily "check-in" kind of post. I know not everyone is going to be able or willing to check in every day but I think it'd be great to shoot for at least once a week. The check-in posts are part organization/reminders/to do lists for yourself, part a sense of accountability because I know I at least need that sometimes to feel motivated to do everything and they are also partly a place to offer others encouragement or advice or whatever. I'm also going to open up posting by members if you want to add anything pertinent. Also please feel free to ask if you have any question or need advice with anything!

So to sum up:
* Don't forget to write your goals down somewhere at some point
* If you have a resource you find helpful, link me here
* Don't forget to check in at least once a week

Thanks!

[about] [rules] [goals]

This post is where you can put your overall and sprint 1 goals. Remember to keep to your sprint goals realistic, specific and measurable. Your overall goals could be as vague as you'd like, though. Think of them as a foundation for your sprints. Also, feel free to use other comments as inspiration.

Rule #1
Don't be a jerk!

Rule #2
If you are a jerk, you will be removed from the community and all jerky comments will be deleted.

Rule #3
If you want to join us and we've already started, that's fine! Just post on the latest goals post and dive on in.

What is ninetydays?

It's a community devoted to helping our members set and realize goals for a 90 day period.

Why 90 days?
90 days is a manageable amount of time, as opposed to, say, a year, which can feel overwhelming. 90 days also allows for more flexibility and discourages procrastination. The 90 day period seems to best at keeping people motivated. It's also a common amount of time that many successful people use, whether in business, personal fitness, or anything else you can think of.

Why set goals?
Goals give you a purpose or a direction in your life, as well as something to work for and a sense of accomplishment, which can increase your self confidence, when you meet them. Accomplishing a goal can also motivate you to continue on and set additional goals. Some research even shows that people who set goals are happier.

Can't I just do it on my own?
Of course you can! In fact, many people do. However, especially if you're just starting out, it can be helpful to have a group of people that you're not only accountable to, but who are there to support you.

Ok, then how does this community work?
We're just beginning, so expect this group to evolve over time. As of now, I am just aiming to have a place of support for like-minded people (writers, young adults, mostly female) who already know each other or at least have friends of friends. I think for many of us, it's easier to share something personal, like goals, with people we already know a little. It also can make supporting each other more rewarding. With that said, this community will have moderated membership. Only people who already know someone else in the community may join. If there's a compelling reason to change this, then that's certainly possible.

As far as technical details go, we will have three 30 day "sprints", broken up by two five day breaks. (This idea was shamelessly stolen from r/90daysgoal.) That will add up 90 days (or more if you choose not to take your break, but I do encourage the break). Each day, a moderator will put up a daily goals post where you can comment with your goals for the day, as they correspond to your sprint/overall goals. Feel free to comment to others with encouragement. Before each sprint, there will be a goals posts where you can comment with your goals and after, we'll have a recap post.

We are going to our first round on Monday, May 19th. If you want to participate, start thinking about your goals now! The goal post can be found here and you can add to it at any time.

How do I set my goals?
This part is very personal. I would recommend being honest with yourself and try not to do much at once or else you may get overwhelmed. When settings goals, it's important to make sure they are realistic, so make sure it's something you actually can physically (or mentally) do within the time period. Make your goal as specific as possible. That will make it easier for you to know if you actually successfully accomplished it or not. Also you need to make sure you can measure your goal. Use solid numbers whenever possible. If you want to lose weight, come up with the exact number of pounds you want to lose (remembering to be realistic, too!). One other to keep in mind is that you should make sure your goals really are important to you. Ask if this goal is really worth your time. If you need help setting goals, you can ask here.

Any other questions? Ask away here!