When my daughters were growing up, on the first day of the year, after having a delicious breakfast of lox, cream cheese on pumpernickle bagels, all thanks to the generosity of the Van Alens, we sat down at the kitchen table to write down our resolutions for the upcoming year.
I was trying to make the activity fun and we had plenty of bright pens and pictures to help vizualize specific goals by drawing and making collages of our dreams turned goals.
During the many paranting workshops I took in my eagerness to offer my kids the best, I learned certain basic rules which, it was my understanding, were guaranteed to give positive results. Why did I feel it was so important to have goals? Once upon a time, when I was growing up in a communist country where the only admissable goals were those imposed by the state, an elderly wise woman, asked me a rethorical question:
”If you do not know where you are going, HOW are you going to get there?”
As my daughters and I sat down for this activity, which I hoped to become a tradition, we were guided by a few basic rules.
Here they were:
“Children do WHAT they see, not WHAT you say!” In other words, deeds speak louder than words!
Another rule was:
“It takes small steps to reach a Big goal, so… take baby steps!”
The third rule was:
“Write down your goals and the steps needed to reach them.”
The last rule:
” Have reasonable goals and expectations.”
I hope the paranting workshops were correct and, my now adult daughters, changed our childhood activity of writing down our resolutions for the upcoming year, into a life long tradition.
Personally, I continue to keep the tradition ( minus the gourmet breakfast) and still make the mistake of wishing too much, aware that I’m setting myself up for faileure. However, there is a different way to look at it:
If I ask for too much and accomplish a half, that is better than setting a goal so small, half of it accomplished is insignificant.
This statement brings me to the conclusion that everything is perception and all it matters is who looks at “IT,” WHAT are the personal characteristics of the person, not only the “nurture” elements but the “nature” elements, which we may not ignore.
It is a known fact that the SAME EVENT, many times negative in itself, for one person becomes the POSITIVE life changing element, giving him/her strength and purpose, while the SAME EVENT, for other individuals, becomes the “ sad motivation” to fail, the justification to follow in the steps of some of our ancestors who chose the easy path of falling…
We all have “genetic predispositions,” some good, some bad but God also gave us FREE WILL and the ability to make CHOICES! In other words, we are predisposed, not doomed!
As the words suggest, “CLIMBING” until tyou reach the top of YOUR mountain, your goal, your purpose in life, requires EFFORT. It is easy to go downhill, to “free fall,” with no direction, but when the bottom is hit, it ALWAYS hurts and many times is deadly.
At the beginning of 2018 I am contemplating life from the only perspective I have: mine…
I cannot turn time back and reasonably expect to accomplish goals which are dreams I failed to change into reality years ago.
So… here is another thought:
As we age, realistically, how do we adjust our goals so that they become more than unattainable dreams?
Just for the sake of it, here is a list of WHAT I would like to accomplish in 2018.
“They,” not sure who they are, but I assume “the wise,” suggest not only to write down your goals but also to share them with others. I think the purpose is to hold one accountable.
Here is my wish list:
- Sign up for YMCA and swim.
- Eat Paleo, which is actually a life-style change not a diet.
- Learn how to paint rocks. I came across an awesome Facebook Group and it is more than painting rocks, it is a positive movement. People paint rocks in nature, and leave them for others to see and enjoy. They convey uplifting messages we all need: HOPE, LOVE, PEACE!
- Start writing my 2nd book. This is a personal project, not much to share but I already started working in it. This will be accomplished!
- Check with the local Community College regarding taking a basic computer course.
- Continue to Skype with my grandchildren and overcome distance. By November to know enough about rock painting to teach my dranddaughter!
Are these dreams or goals? WHAT are the baby steps necessary to accomplish them, or some?
I hope this firse post of 2018 inspires you to join us in a sincere desire to be successful and happy at whatever we wish to accomplish or to be!
POWER IS IN NUMBERS! Join us!
The Nude Truth was read in 2017 by over 16,000 people from 112 countries. It is wonderful to be able to communicate over thousands of miles, to overcome the bariera of cultures and languages!!!
Let’s share and encourage one another!
May you have a prosperous 2018 and thank you for all your valuable sharing and comments which bring value to our communities.
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