And here is the final installment in my visual goal posts! (See part 1 and part 2 here.)
Sure sure, making lists is a lot of fun fluffy ridiculousness. An excuse to be crafty. But does it really work?
I originally made my first visual goals because I was unhappy with my place in life. I was in a bad rut and needed an escape plan! So, what better time to make goals to fix things than New Years eve? I made my first visual list, took a deep breath and then began to slowly follow through as each day passed...
I was skeptical the first year I did this - I didn't fully believe I would actually get anything done. But I did - I accomplished everything on my list!! When I realized with a little hard work and motivation, I could do just about anything... I decided to go with bigger goals that seemed more like unattainable dreams. I made the next year's list with my pal Laila over some coffee, and I remember thinking - Can this really work again??
Well, I have some good news: The goals I made in that cafe a year ago will be fully completed at the end of January 2010... and I will have some exciting stuff to share in February! Yes - it actually worked again! :) How cool is that?
I think its amazing that we can really accomplish anything with a little bit of planning, hard work and motivation. (Saving money and running a blog can be motivating factors too. ;D ) I believe in this so much that I had to share it with you guys. I think life is too short to move forward with out realizing your dreams - so if you are feeling like I did 2 years ago, then please try this out! You've got nothing to lose and will be amazed with what you can accomplish!
If you are wanting to do something that involves an activity - such as exercise more, meet more people or learn a skill, then start looking into classes. One year I looked up the cost of yoga classes, knitting lessons, weekend college courses, craft meet ups, etc - wrote down dates they were occurring and set aside money to go to these events. Then I had a set date in mind when I would accomplish something, and what would be needed to do such. Easy! All that was left was to just go to class... ;)
If you are planning for something very large, such as moving far away or starting a new career - then focus on doing some research every month and documenting what you find. Learn how these changes might effect your money and lifestyle, and if anything is required to prepare. For instance - when I thought I wanted to move to San Francisco, every month I looked into cost of housing, career options, chatted with friends and family who lived there on opinions, heck - even visited a few times! I decided I wasn't ready to move yet, but it really gave me a great outlook on what I will need to do when that time comes and how realistic the move is.
WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN. Make lists! This will help keep your mind free, and calm the anxiousness to accomplish something. Every little thought and note is a step forward! A lot of my goals involve planning or saving money, so list making really helps keep me organized and relaxed. I like to make lists of things I need to do during the month and lists of things I'd like to buy... so I can really think them over before indulging in unnecessary spending. Heh!
Hope you guys find this helpful and inspiring. Remember, there is no right or wrong way to do this, so take the ideas that work best for you! And as always, remember its OK if you don't accomplish everything on your list. What matters most is having fun and working towards your dreams - every little action counts and helps you grow as a person.
I'll be sharing my goals next week (I'm working on them today!!) so until then, good luck goal planning and please do share if you try this out! I would love to see everyone's lists and journals.
