Setting Myself Up for Success

I plan my goals each year and reflect on them every few months to see my progress. Instead of me calling the list I made a few days ago my list of resolutions, and even in place of the word "goal," I see this, list and time, as an opportunity to set myself up for success.

Did I accomplish all I wanted last year? No. But I did accomplish most and for that I'm happy. I do question why didn't I accomplish all my goals? The short answer is: not everything is in my hands. I had other people I had no choice but rely on and sometimes things came up. I couldn't control every aspect of everything. But I tried, I really did. And all that got me was heartburn and headaches.

Yeah, I got upset? Faster than the Grinch tried to steal Christmas. But I realized my errors (yeah, there were many). The main reason some of those goals failed was because I set the bar too high. I'm a short lady in stature and I had created goals that even my handy step-ladder wouldn't allow me to reach. Why? Because I was trying to push myself into a coma to be successful. I took on too much, too soon. There was never any way for me to accomplish all I'd tried to do without cloning myself. So all I really did was make myself unhappy and create unnecessary chaos in my already disarrayed madness (also known as my life).

Another thing I did wrong was, I focused on other people's goals too much. What I mean is, I read dozens of posts by other authors and tried to copy their goals. I figured if they were doing it, I should be, too. Wrong! A goal is a unique, individual thing. So what was right for that writer might just spell doom for you and me.

Okay, lessons learned. So, I went into this year with a level head, clear expectations, and a heaping of optimism (because what's the use of setting myself up for success if I don't even believe I can do it). I envision myself at the start line of a race. I look to my left and I see an opponent. I look to my right and I see another opponent. Each opponent has something in common: they're both me.

So, I'm not going to list my goals here today. They're mine. Get your own. But I will admonish you to be thoughtful in your setting. To be brave. And above also be uniquely you!


Have you set goals? How did you go about it?





Have a great day. Read a book and laugh.