Its been some time since I posted last. As many know I have gone through some upheaval in my personal life - something I WON'T be discussing here ! Needless to say, I became very introspective, and more than a little self-indulgent ! But then I had an epiphany (which I promptly cleaned up !) ...
I decided it was time to get my head out of my rumpus-room, and get on with my life ! I had spent 6 months ignoring the world, and wallowing in self-denial. Those of you who know me personally know I don't DO self-pity very well, so it manifest itself in my ignoring the world around me. I didn't want to be "that guy" - the guy who went out partying and hitting on 24-year-old cocktail waitresses ! Somebody who my children couldn't be proud of !
And so I sat at my kitchen table, staring at a box of my father's things. It had remained unopened for weeks because I couldn't bring myself to deal with it. To face the fact that my father had passed away. It had almost become a game... "I'll open it AFTER I get the laundry done." was becoming a common excuse for me.
And then, like a lightbulb turning on, I came to realize that I couldn't hide from life altogether. That the world was going to pass me by as I stayed stuck in my own little world ! Instead of living day by day, I wanted to make plans. A budget and goals suddenly became very important to me. I started wanting to get my house in order.
And then I decided I should set more goals. A close friend of mine had always impressed upon me the value of setting professional goals. It was an annual exercise, one that we would discuss at length. I am a huge fan of setting S.M.A.R.T. goals - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relative & Time-based.
Specific means they are clear and concise. Like saying "I want to lose 20 pounds". Measurable means that you can track how you are doing, like "Yay ! I have already lost 5 pounds." A goal has to be attainable - no sense saying I want to lose 150 pounds, when you only weigh 160 ! Relative just means it is something that is important to you. And perhaps it should support others of your goals - like saying "I want to take up roller-blading.", which would help support a weight-loss goal. And finally, You need to set a deadline for achieving your goal. Otherwise, you'll always have an out for not getting your goal done.
On my fridge are a pair of big Post-It notes. They are the written record of my goals. I put them there, so I see them every single day, as a reminder of what I want to achieve. Equally as important is the supporting Post-It notes which have specific actions on how I think I can achieve my goals - making healthier eating choices, and walking to & from work every day.
And so, I have set myself a group of goals - some short term, like getting my tax receipts scanned & itemized before the end of the month. Others are longer-term, like attaining a certification before Christmas. They are both personal and professional in nature. It is the first major step towards my feeling happy & contented with my life.
And shouldn't that be everybody's goal ?
My own goals are pretty straight-forward:
- I want to get my weight back under 200 pounds by September first.
- By walking to work & back every day
- By making healthier eating choices
- By eliminating one meal a day
- I want to build my Financial Plan by May 31st
- By setting a personal budget which saves at least 10% every month
- By setting up an investment portfolio with the bank
- I want to have my Separation Agreement in place by August 3rd, 2012
- By negotiating the terms with Lynn
- By getting a lawyer to draft it up for us & signing the document
- I want to get my Corporate tax info to the accountant by the May long weekend
- By completing the scanning of all the receipts
- By packaging everything up & emailing it all to him
- I want to attain two new Professional Designations by Christmas
- ITIL 3.0 & TOGAF 9
- By taking the courses and challenging the exams.
- I want to start my BLOG back up & publish something new each week
- By diligently writing on Saturday morning
The opinions expressed are purely those of the author. Opinions are like noses - everyone has one, and they are entitled to it !
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