Tuesday, January 8, 2019

2019- Goal Setting

I have been thinking about goal setting a lot lately. Do you set goals for yourself? I remember the first time I set a goal or a vision, right now it seems a little superficial, but it was the beginning for me. I will go way back to explain where the vision came from:

When I was in high school, my best friend and I always said, "When we turn 40, we will get a convertible Mercedes." I know back then what that really meant, was...when we turn 40 we will have our husbands purchase these awesome cars for us! Well, fast forward to when I was 40- I didn't have a husband or a significant other in my life that would purchase a matchbox car for me, let alone a Mercedes convertible. If it was meant to be, it would be me purchasing it for myself. Which as fate has it, was the best thing I ever could do! I started doing my research and switched gears- my dream car didn't have a back seat to tote my high school daughter and her friends around, so I needed a different convertible car. I talked to my local BMW mechanic, in a bar and he advised me against the BMW, so I decided on a Volvo. Well I needed to save and find the right one in my price range, plus I was picky about what color I wanted. I put the picture of this car, in my garage. Every time I drove in the garage, I visualized the car I wanted. Finally, I saved up and found the car in Chattanooga and drove up there to purchase it and pick it up. So, I ended up with the car I wanted, it may have taken a while to get- but with my goal set, I was laser focused and able to accomplish the vision. Side-note- the local BMW mechanic became my fabulous husband, sold my Volvo and put me in a "convertible Jeep Wrangler".

The second experience I had with setting goals and getting a vision, came after I read the book "The Passion Test". I was sitting on the beach in San Juan for my 41st birthday (I think it was), reading it and making my passion list. Basically it is making a list based on your passions of how you want your life to turn out.
Birthday trip to San Juan 2006
Some of the items on that list was:
1.  Make a happy, comfortable home for my kids to want to come home to, after they go away to college.
3. Be in a relationship with someone who is honest, fun, respectful and supportive of me.
2. Be with a man that loves my kids, will love my grand kids and be an influence on their lives.
3. Expand my business ( I owned the travel agency at the time)
4. Find a way to help others, especially women
5. Travel and share that love with my girls.
6. Be an influence on others
7. Re-connect with my roots and my old friends
8. Spend periodical time alone growing and getting to know myself
9. Continue my close relationship with my sister and our "Sister time"
At the time I was making this list, I looked over and knew the person that I was with was NOT the person that could support any of these items on the list. It was a wake up call for me. We broke up and I went out with the above noted BMW mechanic. On our very first date I shared this list with him. I let him know this was my goal in life and it was where I was at the moment, working on these goals. He was real quick to be supportive of ALL those goals! Even when it meant, starting the Pink Suitcase Sisters and traveling without him.

Ever since then, goals, dreams, visions, and my passion list has become important to me. Every year at this time, I sit down and visualize what I want to accomplish for the year and where I want to end up, things I wish to do, and things I need to purchase. You can also do this with a vision board, to look at throughout the year to remind you of those goals. I keep mine in the laundry room and go over it while folding clothes.

The thing about goal setting is you have to make the goal attainable. When my goal was to get healthy and to lose weight. I was specific (lose 10 pounds), I set a date (March 1st, after my anniversary trip Feb 24th) and I made it attainable by setting the goal at losing only 10 pounds. I actually ended up losing 29 AND getting off my RA meds, so the goal was surpassed by a bunch! It is so important to write down your passions. From there, you can make them into goals you set for yourself.

My husband and I share goals and work on some of them together. The one right now goes back to number one on my Passion List- My kids and grand kids are my passion, and to have a happy, comfortable, fun home for them to visit, is at the top of my list.
This month we will be purchasing that home and fixing it to be just that! It also checks off some other bucket list items- to be on the water and to live in Florida. Plus, with this house we are able to keep our Marietta house and continue to be here for my Mom. Life is good!!




Mark Twain said it best! "Without Dreams and Goals, there is no living, merely existing, and that is not why we are here!"
Make 2019 your best yet!!

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