Good Evening Friends!

I wanted to take a minute and share with you friends what I have been up to today.

Yesterday I created the video to help me focus on the things I want in my life. So today I took some time to do some goal setting in written form. I am really enjoying having a chance to focus on what I want and desire to have in my life.

My mentor was especially helpful with this process today. She reminded me just how important it is that when I set a goal (have a dream) that I also look at how I can make the dreams happen. I am excited tonight looking at all this.

My goals and Dreams~ my Mentor suggested that I put together a written list that was pretty complex. Her idea is to take each major area of life and set the "Life" goal in that area. The Life goal would be something that I would want to know I accomplished before I pass on from this world. Then she said under each Life goal do a brain storming session to figure out how I would know I reached the goal. Make it measurable.

Then from the brainstorming session, knowing what the goal is, what it would look like when I acheive it, then figure out how long it will take me to reach it. Again make it measurable. Also by setting a deadline so to speak, as she pointed out, I would be accountable at least to myself if no one else in reaching the life goal. One of the things she pointed out was that there may be some goals that never have a completion date. Especially in the area of family relationships. Obviously if you set a Life goal to have a healthy relationship with someone, even when you "reach" the goal (assuming there has been some dysfunction in the relationship) it is going to take ongoing effort to keep the relationship healthy. Her suggestion for this type of Life goal really gave me chills...

She said if for example my goal is to have a healthy relationship with my children. She said to break it down to each individule child since each of them is unique and what makes a healthy relationship with one could be all wrong for one of the others. So she used my daughter as the example:

LIFE GOAL: Healthy Relationship with Katie by the time I die.

DAILY GOAL: In person or by technology tell Katie daily that I love her and assure her that she is important to me.

WEEKLY GOAL: Make myself available to Katie for a period of no less than 15 minutes for her to share with me things important to her.

MONTHLY GOAL: Share one day together in person or through technology doing something together that we both agree on.

YEARLY GOAL: Katie and I attend an activity or event together that nurishes our mother daughter relationship.

Now here is where the chill came from...

By setting the goal "By the time I die" this means it is something that I need to start on RIGHT NOW and never waiver from even for just one day since we never know when we will die. It gives the goal real teeth. I am excited about this!

I haven't done the brainstorming yet~ I had a busy afternoon playing with babies that prevented me from getting down to it. But I have a plan and I will be holding myself accountable and be posting my LIFE GOALS in each area by 11:59pm on Tuesday August 11th. Watch for the post!