Goals Part Deux

I am still greatly struggling with this topic. In my quest to put together goals that fit with ability to complete them, I have done a bit of Internet research on goals and resolutions. The web news is full of items on this.

I have looked at celebrity goals. Brittany is going to try to stop biting her nails. Okay, there is the only thing the pop icon and I may have in common. That would be a good goal. I do bite my nails but do I care enough to make it a priority? After all the big 40 is looming this year... Cameron Diaz wants to "start wearing a bra". Well, I have had that one managed. Otherwise, it would be a necessary goal. After reading this one, I decided I needed other mentors to help form the goals.

I read a couple of articles on About.com on resolution and goal writing. Here is what I got out of my research...

1) Goals should have stretch and growth built into them but unattainable goals are worth the time and effort. In fact, unattainable goals can have negative results.

2) Work to develop a limited number of goals. Don't develop a grocery list of goals. Finish them and move on. There was also a good idea of an "A" list and a "B" list of goals. I would list "not biting my nails" on the B and even C list.

3) In order to be able to check them off, goals need to have measurement. Otherwise, how will you be able to move on to another set or realize that even though you haven't obtained completion you have made efforts to get there. The best example I have of this was my goal to meet and develop friendships outside family and cycling friends locally. I know I have taken steps to do this that have worked prior and tried other avenues. I haven't succeeded ... yet.. However, I have learned to knit! I call that effort and progress.

I am feeling better about actually getting into the nitty gritty of putting together a plan for 2009. I am also encouraged by the clips from Oprah yesterday. She seems to be facing the same challenges I have. The best thing I can say is I haven't given up on goal setting. I still want to improve my performance and hopefully satisfaction with life. Stay tuned ...

Achieving Goals

For the past five years at least, I have been putting in writing goals for both my personal and professional life. This started while I was in Georgia, I think. I hated the idea of a "New Year's Resolution". They always seem to be focused on the negative rather than a positive start to the next 365 days.

I have found myself struggling this year to put down the objectives for 2009 for both sections of my life. I want to blame this on a number of things. Today, I have gone from being excited to a bit depressed over the need to put these down. I am very lucky to have a manager that completely believes in the goal setting process. I think this may help me this year. Typically, I am the one writing them and then trying to get a friend to join me in the activity and setting up meeting times to review our progress or lack there of progress.

My dismay in writing these goals has been building over the last couple of days. I want to actually NOT have to put the same ol' goals on the list for 2010. I want to knock them off once and for all or get to the next step. I have been reading over and over the lists from 2006, 2007, 2008. Some years, I was very detailed and put steps in place. Last year, I was very vague and tried to keep the list short and manageable. This year... I am going to do a mixture of both.

My general themes are around:

• Health and Fitness


• Networking and friends


• clean house and happy family


• Financial success and hitting financial targets

I have made fits and throws at the health and fitness goals. For example, I joined a gym here in New Milford in late April. I went faithfully until we got Fiona and came down with Lyme disease this Summer. All progress stopped. I started again in October only to have another medical issue come on the scene. I am back at the gym again but fear that I will stop going again. The best I can say to that goal is that I haven't given up on it. It is still important to me.

Networking and friends.. Over the past three years, I have had goals about establishing a network of friends here in Connecticut that don't have anything to do with our family or Mr. B's cycling. I have certainly tried! Here are some of the things I have tried to build the network:

Knitting classes, Book clubs, movie club, puppy obedience, charity events, joined the gym, joined the New Milford Republicans.... Short of adopting a 6 year old child, I am at a bit of a loss.

Clean house and Happy Family... Well, my home is cleaner than my parents (not a hard thing) and not as clean as my in laws. I will always fight to get the laundry done. There is nothing in this world that is going to make me enjoy cleaning the bathroom. I am going to be happy with the efforts I make moving forward. I will be adding to my professional goals making enough money to justify having a cleaning service again.

Finally, financial success is my own to master. I need to hit my daily and weekly targets for activity and staying motivated. To date, this is seemingly easy because I am loving every minute of working at SelectMinds and more importantly the conversations I am having with prospects.

I am wondering if others have trouble writing goals. If so, let me know. I will be posting a sample of the 2009 goals here to my blog. Please feel free to keep me in check. My primary goal this year will be to have progress on each of them and to check some hangers off the list in 2010.