Goal-Making

Goals for me are the foundation of life. They are the structure on which I build my family, friends, education, and profession. Everything I do, I try to ensure it revolves around my goals. That's how I know if I'm on the right path.

If you're struggling in life, remember this: as long as you have goals, you can endure the most difficult of situations, even the most torturous.

Goals need to be written down, not just thought of. They need to be revised from time to time. They need to be exact and specific. They need to have a time line. Goals need to be visible to you as a reminder, so put them in a location you will always see. Revisit them from time to time.

Without goals, you lose your purpose, and breathing becomes hard.

That's how important goals are. They are your breath. Don't underestimate them.

Dear Friend...

Dear friend who I've known for nearly half of my life,

Remember those books? I still read them from time to time. I still think about you from time to time. Just wondering how you're doing. What you're up to. Why we don't talk anymore. Whether you have done that thing that you said you might do someday.

I learned a lot from you. About philosophy. Politics. Religion. People. Life.

It was you who sparked that drive in me to question things, to see the world differently, to always be searching for answers to questions that even others may shun me for thinking about.

It was that one book you sent me that changed my life. M. Scott Peck. Did you know that? Back then, I was at a turning point in my life. A choice I had to make. I picked up that book and read it over and over. I marked it up, put sticky notes on copious pages. You should see it... lol. I still have all those sticky notes in there.

Then I thought real hard about life...about my life. And I finally realized how good I had it. I didn't just realize it, I knew it. I felt it deep in my gut. How good I had it and how good I still have it to this day. I have been blessed. See, even today, even though we haven't had any connections in so long, you still impact me.

I was young back then. You knew more of life and of the world and of how it works. I didn't fully realize it then, but I know now that it was because of the hardships and struggles you've dealt with that enabled you to have that deeper understanding of the world and of people.

The knowledge that you gained from your life you passed on to me.

And because of that, I'm a happier person. I'm more free. I'm content. I know what's real and what's not.

Thank you.

I hope you read this, and I hope you see that you've made a difference.

I hope you're happy too. I hope you've found the courage. I really do.

2013 To Do List

Two things.

There are really only two things on my to-do list for this new year, but they encompass a lot.

1) Do more, see more, be more.

This includes traveling. I will be going to Japan this summer. I also have some camping in Wisconsin's popular Door County as well as a getaway trip planned for the Upper Peninsula.

I want to get more fit, and by this, I mean toning up my body. Riding my bike more. Jogging more. Back to lifting weights. Participate in more run-a-thons and obstacle courses. Maybe, just maybe, do Tough Mudder.

I want to continue furthering my education. Progress through with my MBA degree and maybe reach the halfway point by the end of the year.

So yes, all in all, do more, see more, be more!

I have one wish though in regards to this goal of mine. And it is a wish for my friends and family to share in this mentality. I feel like my husband and I are always wanting to experience things, whether it be concerts, camping, skydiving, vacations, etc. But most of the time, we end up doing those things together, just us...because everyone else always says "no" for a host of reasons.

I love it that my husband is as adventurous and willing to embrace new experiences as I am, but sometimes it would be nice to share in those memories with lots of others too. The way I see it, whether I really like something or not, I just want to EXPERIENCE it...at least ONCE in this lifetime.

Do you know what I mean?

Just say YES to doing more, YES to new experiences. I want to pull others into being excited about experiencing life too.

2) Separate work from home better.

This has to do with my family, particularly my three girls. I'm a work-a-holic. I admit it... I'm a big work-a-holic. And since I work from home too, it is very hard for me to separate my work life from my home life. Work can consume my time during the day just as much as it does in the evenings and at night. I need to stop working once the kids are home from school. I have to tell myself that more.

Stop. Put away work.

And be firm. Have set hours for work and be strict about sticking to it. My girls deserve it.

So there you have it. The two things on my to-do list. Cheers to that!!!

What's on your list?