I LOVE this quote “every year, we get 365 blank pages that we get to write in our awesome book of life, today is Day 1.” It’s so true. Yes, I am still talking about the New Year even though we are half way through the month. My question is, why do we have to wait until the New Year to have a blank page in our book. Every day is a NEW day and as a result we can start each day fresh. Don’t beat yourself up if you have skipped a few days or have already abandoned your resolution. TODAY is a new day and each one of us is special and has a gift that needs to be shared. Thank you to Brandon Mouton for his article that was the inspiration for this blog.
We all have talents, so may know what they are while others are shocked when someone else identifies a particular talent in them. Do you know what you inner talent is? I have to admit, I am one of those who is shocked on a regular basis. I mean who would have thought that this semi-retired grant writer could be a blogger that people would actually READ! Here are some steps that Brandon suggested to make the most of this year (or your new day or month):
1. Create Your Personal Mission Statement: I have talked a lot about goals and this year’s “ONE WORD” I have never really thought about a mission statement. Your mission statement will be the cornerstone that you can come back to when you get off track. Your personally created mission statement will be your guide to the goals you set, and the actions you take. Finally, your personal mission statement should be something that you look at on a daily basis. I have written ALOT of mission statements for grants and programs and only ONCE did I do one for me personally. Guess it is time to do one and see if it helps me to EMBRACE (my one word) my goals for the year.
2. Create SMART Goals: Okay, so we have all heard about making SMART goals, right? SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. By using those five areas to measure your goals, you can create tangible areas to mesa sure to know how to meet and achieve your goals. My SMART goals are on a board in my office where I can see them and color in as I achieve each of the steps in that goal.
3. Keep A Record, Write It Down: WOW! Great idea: If it’s worth doing, it’s worth writing down. Keep track of the activities that you need to do, things that you need to schedule, information that you may need to use at a later time, and every other thing that needs your attention today or in the future. By keeping a record and writing it down, you can free up mental energy from trying to keep track of items that you need to remember, and instead use your brain for creating and processing ideas.
4. Review Your Habits: Your personal habits are one of the biggest things that can impact the actions that you take on a daily basis. Review your own habits and ask yourself the hard question, “do my habits support my personal mission statement?”. Does this mean staying off Facebook and Pinterest until I finish some of my work in the office???
5. Visualize Your Achievements: Visualization works by visualizing your achievement. What is your life like now that you have achieved your goal? Who is there with you? How do you feel? All of these things create very powerful hooks to anchor you to your personal mission statement. If you can’t visualize what it looks like once you have hit your goal, then you need to rethink your goal and how it aligns with your personal mission statement. This is a tough one for me.
If you got value from this post, be sure to share this post. Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!
Hope Wissel 