How to.....SET GOALS

What do you do when everything seems to pile up around you?  I'm talking about literal piles - dishes, that junk cupboard, the laundry, stacks of paperwork, home repairs, messy closets.  I'm also talking about the mental piles of stuff-needing to eat better, figuring out how to save money, being consumed with the kids growing up too fast, and that relationship you know could be a little better.    If any of these things occurred on their own, it would be "no big deal", RIGHT?  Well they don't; they all happen at the same time, and they happen to most of us.  So, how do we get rid of piles?  How do we declutter the space around us and the space in our minds?    Maybe, just maybe, we need to think of those piles as opportunities to make some goals. 

KNOW THIS:  A Goal is NOT a Wish!  For the longest time, I thought of a goal as something I wanted.  I always had the end result in mind, but never the work.   It's not that I don't like work; I really do.  I just didn't think of the goals I had in terms of work that needs to be done. 

Now that that is out of the way.....move on.



PICK YOUR THING: There is no way to do it all at once...give up that thought now.  Pick ONE thing you want done, and make sure it is doable.   Don't worry, there will be plenty of piles you can pick through later.  You can think about those piles, but this is goal setting, we are working on ONE thing. 

BREAK IT DOWN: (if you were in my head you would hear 90's music right now).  Ask yourself, "What are all the tasks involved in meeting this goal?"  "What tools do I need?"  Once you have that settled, you realize the second most important thing: A goal is just a bunch of little bits of work.  And hey, I like to work!   So, really, goals are fun. 

HAVE FUN!:  Work is fun...if you make it that way.   Find something that makes you laugh while you are getting through tasks.  Just remember, this is your goal.  You can work through it any way you like. 

Ahhhh, it is so simple, right?   I know, I know, it isn't.   If you are like me, you've read a million magazine articles on reaching your goals.  You subscribe to daily tips through email.  You have some books, and yes, even taken a seminar...but still, you have the piles.   I get it; I really do.  As they say, practice makes perfect...so keep at it.  You chose to set the goal; you can choose to accomplish it.

I will leave you with my favorite, favorite, favorite saying..... I'm not sure where she got this, or who she quoted, but, my personal angel once told me:

 I never said this would be easy; I said it would be worth it.