New You part 2- Creating Your Goals

Want to know how I spent my New Years Eve? I stayed at home with the family and watched Vanilla Sky. Or at least I tried to; I actually started falling asleep around 11 pm. I had to fight to wake up for the countdown. I know that it is not very exciting but I actually enjoyed myself. So much so that I was up until 3 am, go figure. The first thing on my to do list was to complete my list of New Year’s Resolutions. I know, I’m a little late but I don’t stress about the timing. So what about you, have you finished you list yet. If you haven’t maybe you can follow these steps and create a list that will be a great beginning.

1) Get out a notebook or a journal that is just for your New You Goals. Follow the instructions from Part 1. If you don’t have one available just write it on a piece of paper or better yet create a folder on your computer desktop, and commit to look at and work on your goals every day.

2) Now look at you list of values. What are the top three on the list? Rewrite them on a new piece of paper and title that page Creating My Goals.

3) Take some time to think about the biggest problem you have in each area of your life and right it down. Write down your top 3 problems on the Creating Your Goals page. Now think if there was nothing holding you back what would you want to accomplish. Creating your goals may be as simple as writing the opposite of your problem. For example one of my problems is that my house is a cluttered and disorganized. My goal would be to have a clean and organized home. We will call them your Lemonade Goals.

4) On your Creating Your Goals Page you should have 6 different items. (3 values and 3 problems) Your value goals are long-term goals you want to complete within the next 5 years. We will call them Your Purpose Goals. Your Lemonade Goals you will complete them within a year. These goals are be just a rough draft but for know reword each goal into you are satisfied. It is good to start with only 6 goals so that you can remained focused on each one. As you complete each goal, go back to the appropriate list, value or problems, and replace it with a new goal.

5) Next determine how often you will work on each goal. Some goals might require daily activity but you should spend at least 15 minutes a week on each. It helps to think of one easy activity that you can do at least once a week that will help you accomplish each goal. I'd advice assigning one day of the week for each goal and write it down next to each goal and pick one day that is your fun day.

6) On your fun day you will evaluate your goals and your participation that past week. If you did not complete at least one 15 minute activity for a goal, just take some time to soul search and discover what the problem is so that you can make the appropriate adjustments. But whatever you do, don’t punish yourself for not working hard. Most importantly have fun. Do something that you love to and get plenty of rest. Having fun is a way of reenergizing yourself to get the energy you need to work hard.

My Lemonade Goals

1. Earn $2,000/month by December 2009


2. I want to weigh 140lbs by January 1,2010


3. I want feel self-confident evrywhere so that I can be the real me

My Life's Purpose

1. I will blog about all of my life experciences and my interest without worry that people will not like it. Within 2 year I will start a social network that will encourage people to do the same.


2. I want to put into practice what I know about emotional intelligence so that I can maitian healthy and fullfilling relationships. I within 5 years I want to develop a program that will teach other how to maintain a healthy relationship with themselves, with the world around them and with their own higher power.


3. I want to become a parent to my own children. Write now my household includes my 17 years-old sister-in-law. In my mind she is my daughter but I can't exactly treat her like that. She will go off to school soon an I want to wait a year before we try to have kids ourselves. My desire is to become a foster parent first, then work on having our own children within 3 years.

Well that completes New You part 2- Creating Goals. See you next Thursday for part 3.

New You Resolutions

             

March is fast approaching. Do you know where your New Year resolutions are? Have you achieved any of them yet? If the answers are "yes", congrats, you have my respect. Maybe you are only focusing on two out of 12 goals. No worries; that is still impressive. Now, if you're anything like me, you don't even know where that piece of paper is anymore. That's okay, too; who said you had to start self improvement on New Year's Day?

Now is always the right time to focus on becoming the best you possible. One of my first goals is to stop procrastinating. If there are things that you want to change, dreams that you want to obtain, don't wait till the end of the year to come up with a plan - let's work on it together. I believe that I can learn from those goal-achievement gurus and come up with a well-balanced plan. The plan is not yet made; I will wing it as I go along. And, since we are all friends here, I would love to share my goals, my beginnings, my plans, and my journey.

The first step is a little soul-searching exercise. Get out a piece of paper, (better yet a new journal or a notebook) to keep track, and divide it in four sections by drawing one line down the middle lengthwise from top to bottom and another across the middle horizontally from one side to the other. The first section (top left quadrant) I want you to label Passions, the second your (top right) Talents, the third (bottom left) Values and the fourth (bottom right) Problems.

Now, when you have a minute, I want you to sit and fill out each section. Your goal is to write at least ten different items for each section, but write as many as you can think of or as many as will fit in the space allotted. Start with your passions: What are the things that you love to do? What are things that you would do for others for free? What are the hobbies that make you come alive? What activities make you lose track of time?

When you're finished, move on to your talents: What are you a natural at? What have you practiced or studied? What do people ask you for help or advice on? What do others say that you are good at?

Next: What do you value? Who are the most important people in the world to you? What would you die to protect? When do you go against the popular majority? What convictions do you uphold? Where do you get your sense of morals? If you were going to die soon, what would you need to accomplish?

And, finally, let’s move on to your problems: What are the major stumbling blocks to attaining your dreams? What are the mistakes you keep repeating? What keeps you afraid, anxious, idle, depressed or angry?

This is fun right?!? Next, I want you to look at each section, and rank each item’s importance by number, "1" being the most important. When you’re finished with one section, move on to the next until you number all of them. Next, draw the table, four sections with the titles, on a new sheet of paper. Take the items ranked one through six, and rewrite them in order on your new table. When you are finished, pat yourself on the back; you have just completed step one. It should look something like this:

Passions

1. Blogging - about my life and sharing things I’ve learned
2. Making New Friends - gives me an opportunity to be myself
3. Talking to Kids - it would be number one on the list if I did not get sad afterward
4. Psychology - reading, learning or talking about psychology
5. Learning New Things - and figuring out a practical application of it in my life
6. Giving Advice - makes me feel useful

Talents
1. Encouragement - I’m good at seeing people’s true essences; it's good
2. Customer Service -I’m great at calming down irate people
3. Writing - I’m a little rusty, but I am ready and equipped
4. Document Creation - a newly discovered one (I avoided office work)
5. Music Knowledge - tried to make it sound fancy; I just know a lot of songs
6. Finance - Money missing? I’m your man. I can write up a spending plan

Values

1.Freedom - To be my true self and gain acceptance and respect
2. Emotional Intelligence - Principles or morals that enable harmony among people
3. Becoming a Parent - I want a successful pregnancy and to learn quality parenting
4. Family Pride - I desperately want my loved ones to be proud of me
5. Simple Living - Living within yourr means, to enjoy life, and not to be burdened by things
6. Education - Let this debt not be in vain, please let me earn a lambskin, AMEN

Problems

1. I lack confidence and tend to assume people think the worst of me.
2. I have no income.
3. I’m in debt.
4. My family is hurt by my absence.
5. I’m overweight.
6. My house is a mess.

If you want to follow along look for step 2- Getting Motivated will be posted next Thursday