By now, in mid-February, most of us have already put on the back burner our New Year’s Resolutions. So… this is a reminder for those who would like to stick with whatever their GOALS have been.
When my daughters were growing up, on the first day of the year, after having a delicious brunch courtesy of the Van Alen Family, we sat down at the kitchen table to brain storm and write down our resolutions for the upcoming year.
I was trying to make this activity fun and we had plenty of bright paper and pens and pictures to help us visualize specific outcomes by drawing them and making collages of our dreams turned into palpable goals and placed on the refrigerator!
During the many parenting workshops I took in my attempt to offer my daughters 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 were a child, growing up in a communist country where the only allowed goals were those imposed by the government,, an elderly, wise woman asked me:
“If you do not know where you are going, how are you going to get there?”
It was a turning point in my thinking and as I guided my children through setting up goals, I HOPED this would become a life-time good habit.
We were guided by a few basic rules.
Here they are:
Children do what they see, not what you say. In other words, deeds speak louder than words. As a result, I, as a mother, had to be a vivid example for my kids.
Rule number two:
It takes small steps to reach a big goal. Take baby steps and be proud of your accomplishments.
Rule number three:
Write down your goals and the small steps you have to take to reach your goal.
Rule Number Four:
Have reasonable goals, to avoid disappointments. Tricky, but possible.
I hope the parenting workshops were correct and my adult daughters carry on our tradition to write down goals on the first of the year and changed it in a life-long tradition for their own families.
Personally, I continue to keep the tradition (minus the gourmet brunch) and still make the mistake of wishing for too many changes, aware that I am setting myself up for failure. However, there is a different way to look at it:
I ask for a lot and if I accomplish half, is still an important accomplishment.
What are your goals for 2018?
Let’s accept our own circumstances but try to overcome them and reach for our personal stars!
Please share what is your opinion and experiences on setting up goals?
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The Nude Truth by Rodica Mihalis 