01 January 2009 @ 07:20 pm
from a Tree of Life card, division of Hallmark Cards, Inc.
Since I'm rather analytical, I've used an analytical, what I call, masterplanning tool for goal setting throughout the years and year.
I learned that Bob Biehl's method worked when I got my divorce in 1981. I wrote my goals on a sheet of paper and 9 months later, thinking I'd accomplished little, discovered, when I found the sheet again, that I'd set my goals a little low; I'd accomplished 90 per cent of all of them even though I never looked at the paper again. This way of working with goal setting came years before the guy who made the seven areas of personal influence so popular. I've used it ever since.
What I didn't learn until I took a class called One-to-One at the Apple Store this year, is that I often thought, because I hadn't accomplished what my goals were walking in the store, that I hadn't accomplished anything. In reality, what happened is that I learned other things that were more important for my growth that year. I thought because I might not have accomplished one thing over a decade that I'd failed, not taking into account what it was that I did accomplish far more important. I did accomplish much; just didn't give myself credit for what I'd done in that ten years. This way of thinking led to much negative talk and beating myself up over the years, for naught. The goals I was striving for, at the deepest level, kept me aimed at my highest good over the years of seeming drought and famine.
Little did I realize that my dreams, literal and metaphorical (?), were taking me where I needed to go like that sheet of paper I read once before my divorce, to accomplish in four decades what I thought would be accomplished in a year, or two or five. God knows, I never thought it might take four decades or forty-six years. Such unecessary suffering when I was moving along nicely, thank you very much.
Thing is, every six months, I'd open to two blank pages in my journal and draw draw the outline of a big starburst. I labeled it Needs and began writing down everything I knew I'd need in the next six months and from there, I set goals. I did this twice each year and in the last weeks of each year, would sit down with the year and see what I had accomplished. In the early years, most of my life, thought very little since much of it was what came up as the year progressed and became important that hadn't been important before, like finding a father surrogate and mother surrogates at various times in my life. Positive role models for more effective thinking and behaving. Little things like that. Maybe one has to reach the age of 66 to find this kind of thing out, dont' know. I did.
A life dream that told me I would reach a place in my life after going through a desert, with little or no guidance, to a place where I would not just survive, but thrive. Have abundant life. I began this journey when I was twenty, learned to set goals and analyze dreams when I was in my late thirties. It is in these last four years of my life that I no longer just survive; I thrive, at last. I have learned to value what I have and have accomplished within it's context, mine.
So, as I have done for so many years, I review my life for the past year and include the context of my entire life, also. This year I did a marthon of all five seasons of Angel, was quiet and the synchronicities and epiphanies did not fail me. They came in all their small and glorious ways.
As all people do, the goals I set dovetail with each other so that in the end, all are headed in one direction or one overlying goal; mine is to build caring community into as many places in my life as I am able, especially, those nearest to me where I live. This goal will take me to places I hadn't even imagined by January 2010, and kept me in my own backyard in others.
Important in setting goals, I'm finding this year, is to leave spots where one returns to an earlier place or time and remembers help received, abiity to cope, to persevere and learn. The Jewish people use a word, Dienu, which I love, and my understanding of it is that it means enough. My life has those days when, if I were to die then, it would have been enough. The Sioux said, "it's a good day to die." Stone altars in the desert reminded the Isrealites that God helped them at each one. I have a mazuzah (not spelled correctly) on my door because, when I do remember to touch it, I remember what I believe spiritually; where I'm headed. A good friend quotes things he learned from the teachings of Bhudda and the Tao that fill spots for me. Now that I'm retired, the cycles of the seasons bring me fulfillment and teach me much. So this year, I will add a goal that says, Unexpected gifts and accomplishments, syncronicities, and miracles. Perhaps, another, Gifts from Challenges.
On this January 1, 2009 the following are my goals.
Emotional, Intellectual, and Personal
1. Revise the story of my life, "A Feeling of Greatness."
2. Move into working with slideshows and video, mostly my own.
11. Continue personal work.
14. Make writing and art fun and, as much as possible, other things I do.
Physical
3. Lose 12 to 15 pounds depending on what my weight really is.
4. Move toward an earlier sleep and wake cycle. Break my days into smaller time slots.
12. More balance in nutrition, activity, movement and other areas of my life this year. Join either Curves or the little gym nearby
13. Continue clearing clutter from psyche and my home.
Spiritual
5. Explore the church I found, continue with my writing group, write and do some art at least 30 minutes a day.
Professional
6. Substitute some and continue searching for others ways to earn money.
Financial
7. Leave money at home and shop in stores. Save as much money as possible.
8. Try going to the flea market.
Family and Social
9. Write to my sponsored children every two months.
Family
10. Continue nurturing bond with my brother and sister-in-law, my chosen family and friends.
Unexpected
15.
Gifts, synchronicities, and miracles
16.
And, at the end of the year, survey what I actually did with my life while intending to learn and do something else. It’s important to me that all my goals also dovetail with other areas of my deepest needs in life and show me, also, where I need to work more intensely and for fun.
I leave you with this greeting my dear friends,
“Thinking of you at the New Year
Wishing you special peace
at this season of reflection...
Wishing you happiness
and good health
throughout the year.”
From a card by Tree of Life, a division of Hallmark cards, Inc.
Tags: goal setting, tree of life greeting card
Current Location: home
Current Mood: pensive
Current Music: Brothers in Arms by Ryan in Celtic Thunder
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A back and side view from the street. As you can see they have huge trees around the house.
This is the fence that surrounds the exterior of the home, now. It was just a wire type at one point.
I love this. Dovetail Design and Construction doesn't cut corners and builds and does this kind of work with thoughts for the folk living in the homes. He built this bench into the fence under a tree facing the street.
A back view shows the new mudroom which will be great for the home.
This is Avalanche, or Avi, as they call her resting in the snow.
Another shot of her indoors.
A pic of the table and I am sorry that I missed a closeup of the other with another beautiful floral arrangement on it.
Marcia and Bill's son traveled to Maylasia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma, and India this year. He stayed in an Ashram in India helping with children there. He said that one of the most significant experiences he had was working with them, with the people who cared for them. The feelings he had when surrounded by the loving, caring people there, in a, basically selfless community, whose mission is caring for others.
We had a lovely day and I felt so blessed to be included in their family gathering. Her father gave me a gift which surprised me. Marcia giggled and said, "Dad said that if I was good this next year, there'd be another zero added to it." He's frail, and healthy. His voice and ability to speak, like my mom's, is somewhat impaired and with all the folk around, it was difficult to hear him. I am so happy I was with my mom this summer so I kind of knew what to do with Jerry.
At one point Brian, Marcia and Dan were all sitting the same way and I tried to get a shot of that, but, the light wasn't right and it was too dark. It's the most memorable and my favorite image of the day. A day spent with loving brothers, sisters, fathers and grandchildren who love each other and care deeply about the world.
Marcia's sister gave an extra volume of her first book of poetry and I can't wait to read and explore it.
The only strange event were the two dogs. One is Avi and the other Savannah, a big black lab who belongs to the poet and her husband Randy. They are both alpha females and usually can't be in the same room with each other. They were there almost an hour and appearing to be sleeping at their owner's feet when suddenly they went for each other. Don't know if it was pheremones or what, but the growling and biting and going for each other's throats, was a real awakening for me. I wasn't dozing, just totally relaxing. Reminded me of fights at school, except that every man in the room leaped up and pulled the dogs apart.
Other than that, Christmas Day, for me, was a day I won't forget and treasure on those days that are not like it. Next year, there will be other folk in my life and this day will be filled with other memories of a like nature.
Be well my dear friends.
Love,
Lyn
This is an artcle in our paper here.
Tags: 2008, christmas with a family
Current Mood: pleased
Current Music: I'm dreaming of a White Christmas
