More on Goal Setting

I need to remind myself that goals need to be set in all areas of our lives.  Family, Cultural, Health, Financial, Professional, Educational   - these are just a few examples of goal areas.  If we only set goals in the Financial and Professional areas of our lives then we will move toward an imbalanced life, focused on money and work.  That makes us unhappy in the long run.

It is also important to state our goals in the positive rather than negative when we write them down.  As I stated in the previous blog - our subconscious chews on our written goals and it always like to do as it is asked so if you write a goal in the negative you will probably get negative results.  Examples of  negative goals - stop eating foods containing sugar.  I will lose weight.  Try to quit smoking.  I will not eat chocolate this week. The words "stop", "lose", "not" and "quit" are all negative words.  These must be changed into positive words - e.g. I will be a size 10 by October.  This goal is positive and sets a target date.

The goal - "try to quit smoking" has many issues with it.  First it is negative, it is also too vague and lastly, it lacks commitment - try is not a committed word.  I will have healthy lungs would be a better statement.  Remember to break the major goal down into achievable steps.

Not only do goals move you forward and motivate you but they build self confidence.  As you achieve each step your self confidence climbs making the next step that much easier.

"A goal properly set is halfway reached." - Abraham Lincoln

Doers versus Dreamers

I am a goal oriented person.  Those that know me can attest to that.  I admit that I am not as good at writing down the map of my goals as I should but I do have short term, mid term and long term goals.  I also am quite terrible at setting personal health and self care goals but am very good at setting goals to move my professional life forward.

I try to practice the age old goal mantra of S - M - A - R - T
S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Attainable
R = Realistic
T = Timely

I have a to do list - I have a bunch of them actually.  One at home, one at work, even one in the garage.  I LOVE crossing things off my lists.  But - what's on the list?  Are any of the items on the list moving your goals forward or are they just fillers?  Yes, of course, it's important to pay that bill, make that doctor's appointment, get that report out, etc., but you must also add to your list(s) items that move your goals forward.  Each day you should make a step forward - it can be a baby step, but a step nonetheless.

All your goals should have a due date - the M in SMART.  After all - a goal without a due date is just a dream.  I'm not about dreams - I'm about results and the only way to get results is to set goals and break them down into steps.  Some steps may require multiple baby steps to complete, but that's the purpose of writing them down.  When you write a goal down not only do you make it real but you activate an area of your subconscious that will now "chew" on that goal and break it down.  You need to help your subconscious by acting on those steps and again, writing those steps down.

Mentoring

This summer I signed up for a mentoring program called WoMentoring. This program is sponsored and run by JVS Los Angeles. The goal is to match women to help women who are transitioning in their lives from one career to the next. A very poignant goal in this economy where many jobs and industries have disappeared and many middle aged workers are faced with long term unemployment and the scary thought of leaving behind one career and starting over again.

The program is funded by the WoMentoring Leadership Network (WLN), a group of inspiring women focused on helping other women through their philanthropy.  Not only do they provide the means necessary to fund the program but they also sponsor several events throughout the year that feature powerful motivational speakers.  Our last speaker was Victoria Halsey who re-energized me into reexamining and re-stating my goals.  Every once in a while we lose focus and stray from our intended path.  It's never a bad idea to get a kick in the ass to straighten you out.

Your first steps in joining the program remind a long term employed person such as myself the importance of keeping an up to date resume.  It was an excellent exercise for me to update it as it made me reflect on past successes and skill set holes that I feel need filling.  Once you've passed your background check the program matches mentors with mentees in the same job field.  This summer I'm mentoring a woman who has been out of the work force for over five years and it is rewarding to see the progress she is making towards re-igniting her career.


I hope this blog reminds you that giving back to your community is important and rewarding.  Rewarding in many facets as not only is it cool to see the progress in my mentee but I have met many, many successful women in quite the range of fields.  I feel my personal network is stronger for it.

I've Fallen For A Mutt....

Here are two pictures - one is the day after we got him. You can see he's shaggy and looks quite big. The second is today's picture after a doggie spa day of pampering and grooming. I'm not sure who this dog is we brought home from Eco Wash on Pico but apparently he is ours. Meet Geppetto.