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Archive for the ‘Goals’ Category

New Year’s Resolutions, or Not …

Saturday, January 3rd, 2009

It’s January 3rd — have you made your resolutions, yet? Fear not, neither have I. It’s not that I don’t believe in setting goals. I do, emphatically. But, I’m not a big fan of traditional resolutions. So, here are a few suggestions for getting the year off to a good start using a different approach …

Before you look ahead, look back and ask yourself a few questions:

What is your own personal definition of success?

  • Now, with that definition in mind (and canceling out the definitions of your spouse/partner, parents, boss, colleagues, friends and others), what were your greatest successes of the past year?
  • What did you learn from what you achieved and what are you going to do about it? (How will you use this knowledge moving forward?)

What were your greatest challenges?

  • What did you learn by confronting those challenges, or not confronting them, and what are you going to do about it?

Take some time to reflect on the broad spectrum of experiences from the past year. What can you take away from your peaks and valleys and the everyday rhythm of life that will have a positive impact on how you live your life tomorrow?

Now, looking ahead to tomorrow and beyond …

What do you want your life to look like a year (or five or ten years) from now (your ideal scenario; dare to dream!)?

  • Where are you?
  • What are you doing?
  • Who is there with you?
  • What are you most excited about?
  • What was your greatest achievement?
  • What was your greatest challenge and how did you handle it?

(Pay close attention to how you feel as you create this scenario and where you feel it in your body)

Flash back to today … Now that you have a better sense of what your future looks like …

  • Is the path that you’re currently on going to get you there?
  • If not, how do you need to be different in order to get there (more confident, resilient, aggressive, assertive, laid back, willing to ask for help/support, accepting of help/support, etc.)?
  • What do you need more of in your life in order to achieve your goals and how will you ensure that you get it?
  • What do you need less of in your life in order to get there and what changes will you make to ensure your success?

At the end of all of this, you won’t have a bulleted list, and you shouldn’t. The goal is to take the time to be with and learn from past experiences and envision what you want for the future. This enables you to create your intentions for the coming year from a more empowered place based on increased awareness, clarity and knowledge. The focus is less on the circumstances and logistics and more on how it feels — in your body and soul. Pay attention to your energy and use it create the goals that will set you on the path to where you want to be tomorrow, next year and five years down the line.

How do you set resolutions, goals, and intentions for the upcoming year? What helps to keep you on track?

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Posted in Commitment, Goals, Life, Reflections | No Comments »

Celebrate 2008!

Wednesday, December 31st, 2008

As 2008 draws to a close, I thought it might be fun, and inspiring, to publicly celebrate successes from the past year. To be clear, the definition of success is completely your own… it’s whatever you’re feeling proud of or inspired about… as measured by your own definition of success and no one else’s.

It could be anything from committing to explore business ownership to launching a new business or landing a new job. It could be that you started a new blog, developed new relationships, found the ideal childcare arrangement, developed a meal planning strategy, outsourced tasks that were draining your time, got pregnant, gave birth or otherwise expanded your family, sent your oldest off to kindergarten or college, rekindled romance, etc. You get the idea …

Some of the things I’m celebrating right now (in no particular order):

  • Set up a new dedicated work space away from the flow of family activities.
  • Purchased tools to help me work more effectively, including a wireless printer/scanner/copier/fax and a wireless hard drive for automatic system backups (yes – I learned this lesson the hard way; going wireless has taken me out of the equation, so backups now actually happen).
  • Formed a Steering Committee for The Enterprising Moms, which will play a key roll in the evolution of our community.
  • Was mentioned in the Washington Post and Washington Post Small Business Blog and appeared on NBC4 News twice this year (NBC4 connection came through a fellow Enterprising Mom!).
  • Launched a new blog, Eco-Active Family, about my family’s quest to have a more positive planetary impact
  • Got myself and my family more involved in volunteer and charitable giving activities. Finally donated all of my baby gear to families in need.
  • Developed many new personal and professional relationships that have contributed to my own growth as a mom, business woman and human being.

So, what are you celebrating???

Since this community is about support, collaboration, and celebration, please take a moment to share and perhaps inspire another!

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Posted in Goals, Life, Reflections | No Comments »

The Year In Review

Wednesday, December 26th, 2007

As 2007 draws to a close, the pace of life slows and we are drawn to those we love to share and celebrate. This time of connection and celebration is just perfect for connecting with your inner-self and reflecting on and celebrating the year just passed.

So, grab a hot cup of cocoa, a warm bowl of soup, or, my personal favorite — a chunk of rich dark chocolate, and snuggle up in your favorite quiet spot. Now close your eyes, relax your body and your mind and explore the year that just passed. Have a pen and paper handy; better still, invest in a journal and make it an annual tradition.

  • What were your greatest disappointments of the past year?
  • What were the biggest challenges you faced and how did you address them (or not)?
  • What were your greatest successes and what made them so? (Success by your standards, and yours alone!)
  • What were your greatest learnings?
  • What will you do differently in the year ahead based on what you learned from the year just passed?

As you sail into 2008, keep your journal handy. Stay conscious of your challenges, disappointments, successes and learnings; and continue to ask yourself, what you’ll do differently as a result of these experiences.

Do you have a special ritual for marking the end of a year and the transition to a new one? If so, I’d love to hear about it!

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Posted in Goals, Reflections | 1 Comment »