Goal Setting Time

It's that time of year for me again. Well, actually I set goals many times during the year but I always look at the big picture at the beginning of the year. In a couple weeks, I will be in Red Deer for our annual Business Builders' Retreat. One of the traditions of this weekend is dream-mapping - cutting out pictures & words and adding photos & things like that and gluing them on a large colored sheet. I have these hanging in my office by my desk & I see them every day. Last year's included pictures of Rio, family pictures (and the words "Smart Kids"), a picture of a woman doing yoga on the beach and lots of words ("the power of positive", "life is too short to waste time", "surrounded by miracles", "take time to take care of yourself", just to name a few). I love this exercise. I find it very meaningful and motivating.

So I got together with my friend Holly this morning & we talked about business goals & personal goals. One of the things we talked about was how so often we feel the pressure to take on other people's goals. If someone else is doing great & we maybe aren't, it's so easy to feel bad about yourself. But who's to say that that person's goals are the same as mine? I know I have done this lots and I have learned to take a step back & look at my own goals & evaluate myself against that. Another thing we talked about was something that I struggle with & that is giving myself permission to just take time for me. I used to be very good at this & I remember saying at one point that I would always take at least an hour for myself every day. Well, that was before kids & careers & all the rest of it. I have fallen out of the habit of taking time for myself, other than my 15 minutes of reading each morning. So that was one of my personal goals - taking 30-60 minutes for myself each day. That might mean a trip to the gym or it might mean watching Oprah in the afternoon (something I always feel guilty for whenever I take the time).

I have a feeling this is going to be a very exciting year and I am looking forward to everything it has in store. I know that the challenges are there as a neccessary path to growing. Later this week, Troy & I will be going out on a date to do our own family goal setting. Another habit we've fallen out of. I am so glad I have a husband who sees the value of goals. My biggest piece of advice to anyone who is reading this & going to do goal setting of your own:
1. Make it tangible and measurable.
2. Write it down & post it where you will see it.