My Goals for 2014

It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life does not lie in not reaching your goal. 

The tragedy in life lies in having no goal to reach.

Benjamin E. Mays

I find myself, once again, writing a blog post and wondering how it could have been so long since I last posted something here!  It's a little disappointing to know I've let a busy lifestyle and dealing with life in general get in the way of doing something I really enjoy!  Maybe it's because I never really set a goal for how many posts I would write in a year's time.

Benjamin E. Mays believed the real tragedy comes when one has no goal set, so I am going to set a goal for blogging in 2014!  But, let's make this achievable....hmmmm....how about 36 posts for 2014?  That's 3 posts per month, an improvement on 2013!

I've thought about goals for the upcoming year and other than writing 36 blog posts, my overarching goal is to focus on one word in 2014. That word is  peace.  There are many tasks and projects I need to finish and a certain level of productivity and equanimity I am hoping to achieve.  Finishing those tasks and projects and increasing my ability to feel a better sense of stability and composure will go a long way towards helping me feel peaceful.  Undone tasks have a way of zapping my energy levels!

What are your goals for 2014? What if you set some new kinds of goals this year?  Goals for relationships with family and friends? Goals for improving your spiritual well-being? Goals for improving your health?  What if, like me, you set a goal to strive for peace in your life this year?What will have to happen to achieve your life of peace?

Blessings!

Sharon

It's a New Year.....

Your success and happiness lies in you. 

Resolve to keep happy, 

and your joy and you 

shall form an invincible 

host against difficulties. 

-- Helen Keller

It's that time of year when everyone is trying to decide if they're going to stick to their New Year's Resolutions. Gyms are still filled with people who have resolved to get fit, Nicorette gum is probably the best selling gum in the country, and office organizing supplies are flying off the shelves as we start sorting through last year's files and making a new plan for saving all those important records in 2013!

I usually try to set one or two goals for the new year, and they almost always involve being healthier, but it's very easy to forget those kinds of resolutions by the time the first boxes of Valentine's chocolates show up in stores!  (By the way, does that happen earlier every year?)

Nevertheless, shortly before the new year began I was visiting with my brother who was finishing up a project because it was one of his resolutions for 2012 and he wanted to get it checked off the list before the year ended.  Further questioning revealed that he actually makes a list of 10 resolutions to keep during each new year.  Most of them, he reported, are not "that big of a deal."

He lists achievable goals that even though they seem inconsequential, can make his, or someone else's life a little easier, or better.  For example, one of his resolutions from 2012 was to stop leaving newspapers laying around.  Some others have included keeping the inside of his truck cleaner, having his garden soil tested, saying "hello" more often, and giving up snack cupcakes. (I think Hostess helped him out with that one!)

For 2013, he has looked back over his lists from the last ten years and figured he had achieved roughly 60% of the goals he'd set, so he took the first 10 resolutions from past lists that were left unaccomplished and has set out to accomplish those things in 2013.  

Another friend of mine picks one word and focuses on that word for the entire year.  For 2012 her "focus word" was Courage.  Throughout that year, as she faced changes in her job, home improvement projects and life, in general,  her focus on courage gave her additional strength to press on!  

For 2013, her "focus word" is Less.  An interesting choice.

Less?  

Yes.

Less time wasted,  less clutter,  less money spent on things that don't matter, 10 pounds less weight, etc. 

What a great idea! 

My word for 2013 is Happiness.  I hope to take the words of Helen Keller to heart and find a little joy in every day!

My challenge to you is to look at the goals you've set for 2013. Whether it's a list of small achievable things, one really big thing,  or simply a  focus on a particular virtue or word, I wish you the best in accomplishing what you set out to achieve!

Blessings!

Sharon

  

Make every day count...

Don't be fooled by the calendar. 

There are only as many days in the year as you make use of.

Charles Richards

Happy Leap Day!  I've always thought that statement sounded a little strange. But, when you think of that phrase in light of Mr. Richards' quote, it's a really great way to think of Leap Year -- an "extra" 24 hours we're given every four years!

We should always strive to make every day count, making a time each day for the things that matter.  Even on days when you may not feel like "putting on"  a positive attitude and showing up for life, ready to meet each new challenge, it's important to do your best to make the 24 hours you've been given an important time in your life.

My challenge to you for this "Leap Day" is to do something a little "extra" with the extra time you've been given for 2012!  Think of someone who needs some extra encouragement. Offer to help a co-worker finish a project that is looming over them.  Invest the money you would normally spend on expensive coffee drinks or meals into buying lunch for someone who doesn't seem to have a "social circle" of friends to do lunch with and usually spends that time alone.

Call your mother!

It's a great day to go that extra mile!  This "extra" day is a free gift of time to help you accomplish your goals.  It's an extra endowment  of time you can use to make a difference!

I would love to hear from you regarding your use of this "free" day!  If you'll leave your comment below, I will save your good ideas for the blog I will write in 2016 that will celebrate the difference one person can make in the life of another by making good use of this extra day!

Blessings,

Sharon

Never give up....

"We must accept finite disappointment but we must never lose infinite hope." 

-- Martin Luther King

When things go wrong, or when someone lets you down, it's easy to give up.  It seems convenient to just stop trying.  However, when you're facing something  that has derailed your plans, or worse, has brought you to a complete halt, it's wise to invest  a bit of time in figuring out what happened.  It's also wise to spend only the necessary amount of time in that "place" in your life!


Just because things have gone wrong, don't give up!  Find something hopeful in the situation.  Look diligently for a friend, or co-worker who is supportive and focus on finding the "hope" that you can do what you've set out to do.


Be realistic. Set specific, measurable, achievable goals, then focus on them and keep moving toward them.  Make every attempt to remain hopeful.


Some of the saddest people in the world are those who have no hope.  Look to your faith, your family, your friends, and your co-workers when things seem hopeless and be on the lookout for opportunities to help others who seem to be struggling.  You'll be glad you helped and you may find that your own situation is not as hopeless as you once thought.


Blessings,


Sharon

Thought for the Day

Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage.
Niccolo Machiavelli

I've faced many obstacles in the past year and  although I would like to say I've turned them all into opportunities, I have not.As a matter of fact, I've learned that if the obstacle isn't dealt with in some way, each new obstacle just seems larger because it is, in fact, "piled on top of" the previous one.  Unresolved issues/obstacles swept under the rug, simply "pile up" and eventually we stumble and fall over them!


Turn your obstacles into opportunities before you stumble over them and fall!