I chase goals. I’m happiest when I feel I am accomplishing something and am looking forward to more. There is always something I want to do, work on, work toward, improve, or try.
I’ve been taught to aim high, dream big, and go for it. Cliche? Maybe. But this works for me:
- Set a goal and write it down.
- Decide if it is long-term, short-term, or mid-range.
- List the logical steps to reach the goal.
- Order the goals, and their steps, by importance and how they build upon each other.
- Write it out and get to work.
- Check back often with myself on how I am doing, what needs to be done, and if my goals may have changed or to add new goals.
Depending upon the project or goal, I even break it down further. For example, I am working on fixing up a nearly 100 year old building. I live in a cold climate, and the building has no heat, so I have my lists divided into things I can do in various weather (latex paint needs at least 50 degrees, latex/silicone caulk needs 40 degrees, and oil-based primer needs 35 degrees according to the labels on the products I am using). Some things inside like cleaning the gaps in the hardwood floors I can do even in the worst of weather. Still other things like trim work are brought in the house to be finished before they are installed in the outbuilding. The landscaping will have to wait until the ground thaws in spring. But, some things still need to be done in a logical order such as priming before painting, despite what Mother Nature decides to send for temperatures.
The simplest form of organizing goals is what I try to teach my children: Work first, then play. Or as my dad told me many times over, “Get your priorities straight.” That is a work-in-progress for me. There are things I used to think were important that time has taught me just don’t matter as much as I thought. Sometimes priorities and circumstances just change, so your goals need to adapt as well.
Decide. Plan. Work. Check your progress. Feel the satisfaction of accomplishment. Never stop.
