Make your list public. Making your goals public solidifies your commitment to them, holds you accountable, and helps you connect with others who share your interests. You’ll discover connections to social and professional networks that you didn’t know you had and gets lots of encouragement from the people who care most about you. So make sure to tell friends, family members, and coworkers about your list and post it on the Internet at 43Things.com.
Include serious and fun goals. Vary the scope of your goals and include some wild just-for-fun dreams. Also, don’t be afraid to complete less daunting goals first. Building momentum from these early successes helps you find the courage to tackle larger tasks.
Include undefined goals. Avoid overlooking a developing passion or interest by fearlessly adding goals even if you can’t totally articulate them. If you wake up one morning with the desire to create art, add it to the list. Let the idea simmer in your mind until something more specific emerges.
Document progress. While reviewing the list, record your progress and determine the next steps. Documenting progress allows you to identify behavior patterns or other obstacles keeping you from accomplishing goals-it can also show you how far you’ve come.
Make goals manageable but rewarding. Divide big goals into smaller tasks, but not so small that they become tedious. Taking incremental steps keeps you from getting overwhelmed by a monumental goal. For example, instead of vowing to “get organized” try listing “declutter the garage.”
Define the finish line. You’ll find it easier to complete certain tasks and track progress if you determine the duration, results, or final outcome you desire from achieving a specific goal. Revise vague goals such as “give back to my community” by specifying what kind of work you want to do. You may not be able to do this right away-as we said, undefined goals are good, too.
Prioritize goals. Arrange your goals to reflect what you want to begin working on right away. You may want to run a marathon and get a promotion at work, but rather than trying to find the time and energy to run thirty miles a week and put in long hours at the office, focus on the goal that’s more important to you.
Maintain a manageable list. Somewhere between twenty and forty-three is a sweet spot for many people. Limiting your life list to forty-three goals forces you to make some choices. Fewer than twenty goals doesn’t offer enough variety to keep you moving forward.
Review your list weekly. It sharpens your focus, keeps up your momentum, and reminds you of what’s important. As you review the list, ask yourself, “What have I done to achieve a particular goal this week?” If the answer is “nothing,” is this goal important enough to keep on your list?
Revise and remove goals. A life list should be constantly evolving-it should reflect what’s important to you right now, not what mattered in the past. Remember, there’s no penalty for changing your mind or tweaking a goal to better reflect your desired outcome or new circumstances. A short-lived passion for making pottery can be reborn as “find a creative outlet,” or ambitions to get straight A’s in chemistry can be tossed because sometimes a passing grade is enough of a victory.
I took the 43 Things Personality Quiz and found out I’m a
Healthy Organized Extrovert
I would agree with this (most of the time)! Although I must confess: I ate fistfuls of M&M’s as I worked late into the night amidst the piles and piles of papers on my desk! Check out this site and start your own 43Things list. It is fun!
I’ve always loved the quote, “Happiness is Your Responsibility.” This article sums up how our beliefs determine our state of mind and the outcomes in our life. Enjoy!
One day a man was walking along the seashore. He noticed that during the night many seashells and starfish had washed upon the beach. Thoroughly enjoying the morning sun and cool sea air, the man walked for miles.
As he strolled along, he noticed a small figure dancing in the distance. It made him chuckle to think of someone celebrating life in such an uninhibited way. As he drew closer, however, it became apparent that the figure was not dancing. Instead, she seemed to be repeatedly performing some ritual.
He drew nearer still and noticed that the small figure was a child. She was methodically picking up starfish and tossing them into the surf. He paused for a moment, puzzled, then asked, “Why are you throwing these starfish?”
“It’s high tide,” she replied, “If I leave them on the beach, the sun will soon dry them and they will die. I am throwing them into the ocean so they can live.” The man considered her actions, impressed with the child’s thoughtfulness. Then he motioned up and down the miles of the beach. “There must be thousands of starfish along here,” he said, “you cannot possibly make a difference.”
The young girl stopped. Her face darkened. She chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip, “You’re probably right,” she said softly. She looked down at the sand. Then she leaned over, carefully picked up another starfish, pulled back and arched it gently into the sea.
With a tone of gentle defiance, she said, “But I made a difference for that one.”
What is one small thing you can do today to make a difference in someone’s life?
What true patience is, is knowing that you want it and knowing that it’s coming and actually enjoying the unfolding along the way. Understand that you never get it done. So you might as well be patient. You never get it done, because every time you want and receive, you also receive a new perspective from which to want. Life is a constant unfolding of new desires and then a constant alignment to those desires.
I’m very active when it comes to my preventative health habits — daily exercise, a multi-vitamins, consuming lots of veggies (even juicing them), a yearly girly exam, yoga and meditation.
As a mother, I spend a lot of time and energy on my kids’ health:
I give (force feed at times) my children their vitamins and vegetables daily
Bedtime is 8 pm to ensure proper sleep (even if I have to chain them to their bedposts
I try to keep their sugar intake low and get them active (sometimes that requires hiding the cable cord and chasing their lazy butts around the kitchen island).
But what about the health of their chakras? And what the heck is a chakra, you ask? Chakras are our energy centers. They are the openings for life energy to flow into and out of our aura. Their function is to vitalize the physical body and to bring about the development of our self-consciousness. They are associated with our physical, mental and emotional interactions.
When I began yoga about 4 years ago, it changed my life for the better. My stress was reduced, my body was stronger, leaner and more flexible, and my health overall was remarkably better. Through my yoga instructor, I was introduced to the term chakras and how to keep them balanced. I make that a daily health practice too. If you are wondering more about how that is done, check out the About site.
When the book, A Children’s Guide to Chakras by Susan Marek came my way and I found it was a great way to teach my kids about chakras and how to care for them. My 8 and 10 year old loved reading it and I think even younger kids will enjoy it too. If you want an easy way to intorduce your kids to new ways of holistic healing, get the book at Amazon…
The author, Susan Marek, is a certified angel therapy practitioner with three children.
Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch (Oct. 23, 1960 – July 25, 2008) gave his last lecture at the university Sept. 18, 2007, before a packed McConomy Auditorium. In his moving presentation, “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams,” Pausch talked about his lessons learned and gave advice to students on how to achieve their own career and personal goals.
Nike, McDonald’s, BMW, Disney, and Coca Cola all are brands. A brand is an image, identity, or message a company uses to represents itself.
What is your personal brand? It is a reflection of the REAL YOU and what you value. Most people aren’t living their true brand, just a cheap imitation of someone else’s brand or vision that don’t quite fit (like a shoe that is one size too small!)
IS THIS YOU? Then you will love this class!
You lost your identity to motherhood or your busy career and want it back!
You want to make a stronger statement in the world.
You are often wishy-washy or indecisive when making decisions.
You want your needs and desires to be understood and met.
As a result of this teleclass, you WILL:
Learn what you value most and know your unique brand.
Begin attracting the people, things and circumstances you desire!
Make decisions quicker and more confidently.
Create an action plan to make your language, appearance and home reflect the REAL YOU.
TELECOURSE DETAILS
DATE: Sunday, February 22, 2009
TIME: 6 – 7 pm MST (5 pm PT/ 7 pm CST/ 8 pm EST)
COST: Free
TO REGISTER: Email me by 2/21 awc@allisoncabral.com to receive dial-in phone number and access code
Join My Mailing List
