If January is the month of resolutions, February must be the month for setting those goals in action. This means... time is upon us! The trouble is, many of those new year resolutions are already fading from our memories. I like to approach new seasons as "fresh starts". As such, I usually write a Fall Plan, a Winter Plan, and Summer Plan for myself, the structure of which goes something like this...
One of the most troublesome aspects of childhood can be the Report Card. In essence, the report card represents our "grade" at meeting the expectations of our teachers. But as adults, we become our own teachers and create our own expectations for ourselves. If set our goals too high, we may feel like failures; if we set attainable goals, we can enjoy a great sense of accomplishment. Success is a personal matter, based on our private expectations for ourselves. But if we set no goals, how do we know if we are living up to our potential?
Not long ago, I approached the task of cleaning off my desk. This semi-annual, painful event involves re-reading all the scraps of paper which have accumulated over the previous six months. Not my favorite job. But this time, I was pleasantly surprised to find my Fall plan, the Summer plan preceding that, and the Winter plan of one year ago. Even better, I was tickled to find that the tasks and goals which they described, had been accomplished. I had made progress during the past year, and this year's goals were easy to imagine.
An old friend of ours used to have a favorite expression that went, "onward through the fog". I would only add...knowing where you're going helps alot!
©Copyright 1990, 1995, Jane R. Rosen-Grandon. All rights reserved.
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Last Updated October 24, 1998 by Gary M. Grandon, Ph.D.