Goals!

While sorting through things this week I came across this book.  I was given to me on my birthday in 1998 by my x-Mother-in-Law Susan and her partner Brian, with whom I am still in contact with and adore.  In it she wrote "To live in France must certainly be one of the great pleasures in life.  All our best for a wonderful year ahead.  We hope your dreams come true."

I remember having a conversation with her in 1998 about our dream and goal...to live in France someday.  10 years later we took our sabbatical and moved here for a year  and now we DO live here.

I'm a big believer in goals.  Not "to do lists" but personal and professional goals.  I have always written down my goals.  When we started our business Art-Works studio in 2000, every 6 months I'd review the goals for the studio.  All I can say is that when I write things down, they usually happen.  I don't mean things like, 1 want to have 10 million dollars or I want to win the lottery.  I always do short-term goals (3-6 months) 1 year goals, 3 year goals, 5 year goals and 10 year goals at the beginning of each year.  Then after 3-6 months I review those and update for the next 3-6 months.  It keeps me focused and it helps me visualize things when they are written on paper.

The goals can be whatever you want.  For instance, for our new business here, we set a goal for this summer.  We had hoped for 1 camp to be full.  That's it.  But we now have that camp full and 2 others are also running.  I had put down that I wanted x number of children to sign up in January, x in February, x in March and so on.  Most have happened.  I started doing this at the art studio, I'd make a sign up sheet, set my goals for x number of kids to sign up each month and most of the time I'd meet or exceed that goal.  I also do personal goals.  In January I wrote that I wanted to climb this certain route by April 1st (a month ago I didn't think I'd make that goal, but last week I found a route to work on that 1 letter grade harder than my goal), start throwing pottery again, drink more water, etc.

Back in 1998 Bruce and said that in 10 years we would move to France.  We wrote it down, it was a goal and it was always on our personal goal list each year.  Funny, 10 years later we made it happen (only for a year) but now we are back, hopefully for good.