Wednesday, January 7, 2009

A Bit About Goals


Since it is the New Year and goals are on everyone's mind, I decided to talk a bit about them.

Last month I shared some of my writing goals. I am right on track for the chapter part of the goals, but behind on the word count, which I am okay with because I tend to write through my ideas quickly and then circle back to fill in everything I glazed over. Funny thing, I realized on my ticker on the side I had accidentally had one extra zero in my word count goal. I was confused as to why it said I only 2% along on my total word count. Hah. It is now fixed.

I absolutely love goals. I am one of those people who has the whole "Life Mission Statement" from 7 Habits of Highly Effective people. In years past I would have have two to three pages of New Years Resolutions. I think that if you don't know where you are going then you are never going to get very far. Even if you don't get quite there, you will be so much further along than you would have been if you did not define and then follow your goals, but defining them is the first step because you consciously recognize that it is something that you want so you can make an action plan to accomplish it.

Last year was the first year that I didn't have too many goals, primarily because the years prior had all been so busy, especially 2006 (totaled my car, took a job in Omaha requiring 100% travel and weekly flights, moved to Chicago, got married) and 2007 (grandma died, Pete was very sick, got settled into Chicago, bought a condo, got a new job, got another new job). For 2009, I have a a few goals, but not like I used to. I think the older I get the more complacent, but in a good way, I get with my life.

I am not quite where I had wanted to be when I was a kid, but then, who is? I'm happy in middle management, especially at my age. I'm happy with my condo. I really don't like my job for various very good reasons, but who does? It is a stepping stone for my eventual non-writing career goals, a stepping stone that is very important.


Now my goals are more focused and are actually the longest lasting goals that I have had. 1) get into a consulting firm as a senior project manager or process consultant, 2) become a published novelist, and 3) be the best/happiest person I can be. All my other goals really are just steps to reach those. I guess that I would call these Motivating Goals.

Does anyone else out there have any Motivating Goals?

3 tidbits:

Shelli (srjohannes) said...

thanks for coming to my blog! great post :)
shelli
http://www.faeriality.blogspot.com/

Lauren said...

And thank you for coming to my blog :) And thanks for the compliment about the post :)

Spy Scribbler said...

I used to take a whole week "retreat" and go camping by myself, and sit and contemplate my life's direction, goals, etc. Now I do it between New Year's and Christmas.

I really love the idea of "Motivating Goals." I haven't done a Life Mission Statement in FOREVER. I really should! I wonder where my old ones are! I once got sick for seven/eight years. This derailed everything, and at one point, I decided not to have ANY goals, because they just anguished me when I couldn't achieve them, or I'd make myself worse, trying.

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