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| Your Career |
| Set & Get Your Goals!! By: Aurelia Williams |
One of the hottest topics lately seems to be Goal setting & Goal Getting. Setting good, clear goals is a powerful
process for both your personal and professional well-being. By setting goals on a routine basis YOU decide what you
want to achieve and then move step-by-step towards achieving these goals.
I always encourage women to make an effort to spend time setting sharp and clearly defined goals. One of the
beautifully empowering things about goal setting is that you can measure and take pride in the achievement you make
as you get closer to your goals. By setting goals, you will also raise your self confidence as you recognize your ability
and competence in achieving the goals that you have set.
The process of setting goals allows you to choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to
achieve, you know what you have to concentrate on to do it.
Remember, your goals are the road maps that guide you and show you what
is possible for your life.
Here are a few action steps for you to take into consideration when working on setting and pursuing your goals:
==> Make sure you set goals that you can realistically reach. Striving to be perfect is not a realistic goal. Striving to eat
healthier, exercise more..etc. is a realistic goal.
==> Break your big goals up into bite-sized chunks. If your ultimate goal is to launch a new website before September,
break the goal down. Work 1st on asking for others to give you the opinions on possible webmasters, make a list of
what you want your site to look like, contact certain webmasters, ask for price quotes etc. They key is to take small,
thought-through steps to reach that ultimate goal.
==> Set a specific time-frame to achieve your goals.
==> Write your goals down and force yourself to be very specific about them. You can then refer back to your goals
list and you can see how you are measuring up. It is an empowering feeling to set goals and achieve them.
==> Celebrate! When you achieve a goal or overcome a hurdle that brings you closer to that goal, CELEBRATE you
and your accomplishment!
You can accomplish just about anything you ask of yourself. Make your goals specific and clear. When you know
exactly what you intend to do, you're well on your way to getting it done.
Aurelia Williams, certified Personal Life Coach and owner of Real Life Coaching. Are you looking to reach a goal? You
can contact Aurelia by visiting Real Life Coaching and request a free initial Goal-Getting session!
process for both your personal and professional well-being. By setting goals on a routine basis YOU decide what you
want to achieve and then move step-by-step towards achieving these goals.
I always encourage women to make an effort to spend time setting sharp and clearly defined goals. One of the
beautifully empowering things about goal setting is that you can measure and take pride in the achievement you make
as you get closer to your goals. By setting goals, you will also raise your self confidence as you recognize your ability
and competence in achieving the goals that you have set.
The process of setting goals allows you to choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to
achieve, you know what you have to concentrate on to do it.
Remember, your goals are the road maps that guide you and show you what
is possible for your life.
Here are a few action steps for you to take into consideration when working on setting and pursuing your goals:
==> Make sure you set goals that you can realistically reach. Striving to be perfect is not a realistic goal. Striving to eat
healthier, exercise more..etc. is a realistic goal.
==> Break your big goals up into bite-sized chunks. If your ultimate goal is to launch a new website before September,
break the goal down. Work 1st on asking for others to give you the opinions on possible webmasters, make a list of
what you want your site to look like, contact certain webmasters, ask for price quotes etc. They key is to take small,
thought-through steps to reach that ultimate goal.
==> Set a specific time-frame to achieve your goals.
==> Write your goals down and force yourself to be very specific about them. You can then refer back to your goals
list and you can see how you are measuring up. It is an empowering feeling to set goals and achieve them.
==> Celebrate! When you achieve a goal or overcome a hurdle that brings you closer to that goal, CELEBRATE you
and your accomplishment!
You can accomplish just about anything you ask of yourself. Make your goals specific and clear. When you know
exactly what you intend to do, you're well on your way to getting it done.
Aurelia Williams, certified Personal Life Coach and owner of Real Life Coaching. Are you looking to reach a goal? You
can contact Aurelia by visiting Real Life Coaching and request a free initial Goal-Getting session!
| The Working Motherhood Groove By: Michele Dortch |
It's too bad that working motherhood doesn't come with an instruction manual. If it did, you'd have an answer to the
elusive question: how can I achieve work+life balance? Instead you look with admiration (and maybe even envy) at
other working moms who appear to be getting it all “right” while you flounder in the unending chaos of work and life.
Every day you wish, hope and pray that one day you’ll finally arrive at a place where life is balanced and "perfect."
Work+life balance, as it's traditionally viewed, is a myth. There will never be a moment in your life when everything is
balanced and "perfect." Instead life is unpredictable and messy. If you're alive and fully engaged in your life, it will
always be this way. So instead of trying to find the answer to the mystical question of work+life balance, you've got to
start with the right question.
The answer to work+life balance is revealed when you understand who you are meant to be. That's it. Sounds too
simple, right? It is and it isn't. Truly knowing who you're meant to be requires a higher level of personal understanding
that few are willing to attempt. Why?
As you deepen your personal understanding, you'll see the truth about yourself. The truth can open up emotional wells
most would rather assume are empty – anxiety, fear, loneliness, resentment, anger, etc. These are unsavory feelings.
You don’t want to feel them and you especially don’t want others to see you experiencing them! I urge you to press
through the uncomfortable nature of this self-discovery anyway.
Because when you're the person you're meant to be, you'll find your "groove." And it's within that groove that you'll
experience work+life balance – an optimal sense of flow. You see, when life begins to feel rocky it's because you're not
in congruence with who you're meant to be. And until you resolve the disconnection between how you are living and
how you're meant to live, you'll always be off balance.
Who are you meant to be?
As you consider the question, let me share my story. I was raised to believe that success in life meant going to college,
having a great career, getting married, having kids and buying a house – your standard "American Dream." By 28, I'd
achieved all the things that should have made me successful, yet life felt like a song being played in the wrong key.
That's when I began my tactical (and spiritual) planning. I started by writing out the things I wanted to accomplish in the
next year. At first the list was familiar – pay off debt, buy a house bigger, get a graduate degree, etc. – these were the
external goals of my life. As I continued the process my goals shifted from what I could achieve to who I wanted to
become – be a better mom, be a loving wife, feel fulfilled, etc. I quickly realized that knowing how to be the woman I was
meant to be would get my life back on track.
Next, I began journaling on what "being" really meant to me. For example, how does "be a better mom" really look? For
me, it meant having time to be engaged and involved in my children’s' lives, without guilt. It meant having a career that
challenges and feeds my mental and spiritual soul. It meant teaching my kids about true love through a relationship with
my husband that was more than the minimum to avoid divorce.
Who are you meant to be?
Here are a few things to consider as you begin to search for your answer:
-- Finding your groove takes time. Unlocking who you're meant to be doesn't usually happen at the snap of your
fingers. That's because you'll need time to "percolate" on new ideas and ways of thinking. Be patient.
-- Finding your groove isn't a finite goal. If you are maturing and growing as a person, you'll constantly be re-
discovering who you're meant to be. Life is a perpetual cycle of change, so expect it and know that with each change
you are strengthened.
-- Finding your groove is about playing by your own rules. This doesn't mean you ignore the advice you receive from
the people in your life. It does mean that you'll need to master the skill of discernment to know when the advice you
hear is for your benefit and not a way to satisfy the needs of others.
-- Finding your groove means letting go of practical thinking. There are some things in life that cannot be answered by
the logical, analytical mind. So, if you're a believer in God, the Universe or something greater than yourself, then learn
how to meditate or pray on who you're meant to be.
-- Finding your groove forces you to experience everything. Your thoughts, emotions and feelings, whether positive or
negative, are necessary elements to discovering who you're meant to be. Learn how to truly feel again and if you need
support (it can get messy!) work with a therapist, coach, or pastor.
Finding your groove is possible once you have discovered who you are meant to be. Enjoy the journey and I’ll see you
along the way because it’s a lifelong walk that has no final destination, but WOW what incredible things you’ll see,
experience and feel along the way.
Michele Dortch is the Founder of The Integrated Mother, a nationwide coaching and professional development
company providing work+life solutions for working mothers, and their employers. Visit www.worklifemakeoverkit.com to
sign up for FREE Work+Life Makeover Kit.
elusive question: how can I achieve work+life balance? Instead you look with admiration (and maybe even envy) at
other working moms who appear to be getting it all “right” while you flounder in the unending chaos of work and life.
Every day you wish, hope and pray that one day you’ll finally arrive at a place where life is balanced and "perfect."
Work+life balance, as it's traditionally viewed, is a myth. There will never be a moment in your life when everything is
balanced and "perfect." Instead life is unpredictable and messy. If you're alive and fully engaged in your life, it will
always be this way. So instead of trying to find the answer to the mystical question of work+life balance, you've got to
start with the right question.
The answer to work+life balance is revealed when you understand who you are meant to be. That's it. Sounds too
simple, right? It is and it isn't. Truly knowing who you're meant to be requires a higher level of personal understanding
that few are willing to attempt. Why?
As you deepen your personal understanding, you'll see the truth about yourself. The truth can open up emotional wells
most would rather assume are empty – anxiety, fear, loneliness, resentment, anger, etc. These are unsavory feelings.
You don’t want to feel them and you especially don’t want others to see you experiencing them! I urge you to press
through the uncomfortable nature of this self-discovery anyway.
Because when you're the person you're meant to be, you'll find your "groove." And it's within that groove that you'll
experience work+life balance – an optimal sense of flow. You see, when life begins to feel rocky it's because you're not
in congruence with who you're meant to be. And until you resolve the disconnection between how you are living and
how you're meant to live, you'll always be off balance.
Who are you meant to be?
As you consider the question, let me share my story. I was raised to believe that success in life meant going to college,
having a great career, getting married, having kids and buying a house – your standard "American Dream." By 28, I'd
achieved all the things that should have made me successful, yet life felt like a song being played in the wrong key.
That's when I began my tactical (and spiritual) planning. I started by writing out the things I wanted to accomplish in the
next year. At first the list was familiar – pay off debt, buy a house bigger, get a graduate degree, etc. – these were the
external goals of my life. As I continued the process my goals shifted from what I could achieve to who I wanted to
become – be a better mom, be a loving wife, feel fulfilled, etc. I quickly realized that knowing how to be the woman I was
meant to be would get my life back on track.
Next, I began journaling on what "being" really meant to me. For example, how does "be a better mom" really look? For
me, it meant having time to be engaged and involved in my children’s' lives, without guilt. It meant having a career that
challenges and feeds my mental and spiritual soul. It meant teaching my kids about true love through a relationship with
my husband that was more than the minimum to avoid divorce.
Who are you meant to be?
Here are a few things to consider as you begin to search for your answer:
-- Finding your groove takes time. Unlocking who you're meant to be doesn't usually happen at the snap of your
fingers. That's because you'll need time to "percolate" on new ideas and ways of thinking. Be patient.
-- Finding your groove isn't a finite goal. If you are maturing and growing as a person, you'll constantly be re-
discovering who you're meant to be. Life is a perpetual cycle of change, so expect it and know that with each change
you are strengthened.
-- Finding your groove is about playing by your own rules. This doesn't mean you ignore the advice you receive from
the people in your life. It does mean that you'll need to master the skill of discernment to know when the advice you
hear is for your benefit and not a way to satisfy the needs of others.
-- Finding your groove means letting go of practical thinking. There are some things in life that cannot be answered by
the logical, analytical mind. So, if you're a believer in God, the Universe or something greater than yourself, then learn
how to meditate or pray on who you're meant to be.
-- Finding your groove forces you to experience everything. Your thoughts, emotions and feelings, whether positive or
negative, are necessary elements to discovering who you're meant to be. Learn how to truly feel again and if you need
support (it can get messy!) work with a therapist, coach, or pastor.
Finding your groove is possible once you have discovered who you are meant to be. Enjoy the journey and I’ll see you
along the way because it’s a lifelong walk that has no final destination, but WOW what incredible things you’ll see,
experience and feel along the way.
Michele Dortch is the Founder of The Integrated Mother, a nationwide coaching and professional development
company providing work+life solutions for working mothers, and their employers. Visit www.worklifemakeoverkit.com to
sign up for FREE Work+Life Makeover Kit.
