Be true to your own goals

the art of setting goals seems to have no art at all.  i have read countless articles, blogs, and books and have come to the conclusion that there is no perfect way or one better way to keep yourself on track.  you have to do what will work for you.  keeping this in mind, i have several things that i do to keep myself on track every day and that really work for me.  it's hard to balance all that life throws at you, while purposefully trying to pay attention to a few of the small moments each day so that you don't fall into that trap of wishing your life away or trying too hard to do it all, perfectly, and be everyone's everything. and while organization helps a lot, feeling accomplished by not over-committing yourself to more than you can handle, while preparing for the unexpected helps tremendously.   the OCD control freak in me struggles with trying to control life, yet knowing that i can't and must let life run its course....and simply learning to just let go.  not to try to perfect everything.  and learn that failing is part of learning.  and it's okay to rely on others and allow them to be there for you, just as you are for them.

yearly. three words.  

these words define what i want my year to be.  they are kind of overall themes for my life that create a direction and keep me focused on more of a purpose-filled life.  my words this year are connect.  grace.  and purpose.

connect.  for some people, connections come rather easily.  i have had to work at it.  painfully shy in my early years, it was hard to forge those relationships, especially in large crowds.  and, while the struggle still happens on a daily basis, i find myself more mindful of it each day as i try to show my love for life, others, and faith.  in business and in my personal life, true connections are those that show weakness and strength.

connect.

family.  friends.  life.  customers.  stronger.  body.  mind

spirit.  earth.  love.  emotion.  reconnect.  learning.  

grace.  one of my favorite quotes is 'with all of your heart, ask for grace and let go.'  this speaks to me on so many different levels and applies to so many different areas of my life.  and grace is such an amazing word in and of itself and can speak volumes with just 5 little letters.  i aspire to grace, ask for grace, and try to show grace.

grace.

give.  trust.  pure.  humble.  elegance.  moral strength.  

let go.  laugh.  freely given.   show, act, give believe. 

purpose. when we find ourselves without passion or purpose, or alone without a project to occupy us, we can become nervous and self-critical about what we should be doing and feeling.  finding purpose and allowing ourselves the space to be as we are gives us the passion for life we all look for on a daily basis.  while some jobs in and of themselves, exude a purpose every day (soldier=defender of our freedoms, doctor=saving lives, bringing new life), the life a property manager is not so.... glamorous? we provide housing?  i guess that seems purposeful, but in reality, what i do most of the day involves keeping scams off of properties, frivolous claims from owner's assets, and ensuring that we are finding that perfect balance between resident, owner, and our company.  sexy, no?  hardly purposeful at a higher level.  dealing with so much negativity every day can make anyone become jaded.  so my third goal is to find purpose every day.  even in the mundane.  what did i do today that made a difference?  what was my purpose today at work, home?  and, while my job somewhat defines who i am (although not completely), it's not what gives me purpose every day.  my purpose is a higher calling.  one that i look at every day to ensure that i am living according to His will.  and despite my job, or in spite of it, i look for my daily purpose to be outside of what i do for a living.  rather focusing on the job intertwined with who i connected with today, or ensuring that i connected with someone specific (family, friends etc.), or if i did my best. 

purpose. 

home.  work.  family.  friends.  

daily.  spiritually.  

yearly.  three large goals + 10 steps.  personal and professional. 

each year, i come up with three main goals in each category, personal and professional, that i would like to accomplish.  this could be something I want accomplished within a year, or over several.  and from those overall goals, i make 10 steps to reach that goal, in order, and begin working on those much smaller goals, scratching off each one as they are accomplished.  i have found over the years that, while we all try and establish goals, with the determined intent of reaching them, if we don't have steps to get there, we will never make it.  it either becomes so overwhelming that we give up, we forget where we are, or stray off track.  we all have the 'ooh, new, shiny!' syndrome.  and, i have found that doing it this way keeps my on track.  and really, i am a total list person.  there is nothing more satisfying than scratching something off of a list to create a sense of accomplishment.  and Lord knows we all need to feel that sense of accomplishment every day! 

monthly.  simple goals by category.  

i recently read a post over here and was inspired to try these simple, easy purposeful goals, set monthly.  i love the fact that, even though they might not be achieved every single day, the overall goal is to create better habits and keep life from taking over each day, creating an environment where we feel like life is passing us by.  brilliant! 
ashlee proffitt design

love this.....

so my challenge to you is, despite the fact that it is the middle of march already....go set some goals.  challenge yourself.  big or small.  whatever works for you.  today is the day to go down the road to reaffirming your goals, personal growth, or reinventing a better you. 

and to be simply.amazing!