Happy New Year(‘s Eve)!!!!
Just in case part of your New Year’s Eve activities include making resolutions (that everyone forgets about in two weeks) – here is a bit of advice on the difference between resolutions and goals.
To sniff out whether you are setting a goal or making resolution, follow the fun.
What’s fun about goals is the end point, the completion.
If your goal is to lose ten pounds and you do it – you are SO HAPPY!
What’s fun about resolutions, on the other hand, is the announcement.
Resolutions feel good coming out of our mouths, but they lack enforcement. “I want to be a better parent.” Since we aren’t too sure what that means and that kid is SO darn onry…sometimes the best part of that was the feel-good announcement. It sure Sounded good when I said it but….
ANYWAY – enjoy your holiday – next year – more on goal setting. More dog training fun! More wacky customer stories!
I’m looking so forward to 2010 and I’m hoping to share it all with you.
My other writing
While dogs are my passion – and usually what this website is about – I do some other writing. Some you will never find out about – some that gets published once in a while – some I write and send off just to add to my growing collection of rejection letters. What – you don’t have a collection?? Everyone should collect something!
You know you have a sad and sorry life when you get excited about Non-form letter rejections. Where an editor or agent actually writes a personal note on the rejection letter. Its like – a less heart rending rejection! Yay! I KNOW – so sad, yes?
Sometimes, as a writer, you just want to give up – my writer friends and I always tell each other “if you CAN quit – do it NOW! Get out while you can – if you can!!”
But we can’t. We be Writers.
Then every once in a while you get a small pat on the back, a little bit of praise and sometimes even paid to be published. Drool time. I’ve been lucky enough – worked hard enough – to be published quite a few times – newspaper articles – magazines, short stories – for money. We write ’cause we gotta. Paid is – utterly utterly fantastic.
Icing on your cupcake. Sprinkles on your ice cream. Great big bear hug.
If I can figure out how this link thingy works – here is my latest paid to be published article. Enjoy!
http://www.herald-review.com/news/opinion/
More on goal setting
And did you dream??? Imagine the great and grand & glorious life that you could/should be living??
My dreams are heading in the right direction. As I’ve said before, I’ve always wanted about the same things – a housefull of kids – some would think five is a nice number. I am very fond of it. And now those most marvelous children in the world are filling my house with grands – number four on the way. YES. Life is good for me.
Dog training. Full time. Happy happy sigh of wonderment that they actually Pay me to do this!
just a random cute puppy picture for fun
And writing. I write here most every day. Love That! And I do some other writing. One day I will be published in book length fiction. Until then – articles (published today in the Decatur Herald and Review) and other things.
And your dreams???? You can share – its okay!
But now we want to take our dreams and turn them into goals. The main difference between dreams and goals is an action plan.
Goals must be measurable. It must be clearly defined. It must have a time line.
A goal can not be “I want to write a book.”
A goal is more: “I will write a 65,000 word romantic thriller by the end of this coming year.”
Then we break down that goal into monthly and daily bites. How many words a day, a week, do I have to write to achieve that goal?
So – back to your goals: They must be SMART.
S – stands for specific. No vague ‘will write a book’.
M means measurable – by when – how long – what kind etc. Break down goals into measurable bits so you know you are taking steps toward the ultimate goal.
A and R – attainable and realistic – make your goals challenging but you have to be able to reach them. I can not write a book in a month. I have five kids and work full time and I have this great love of sleep and playing on the internet. I CAN write a book in a year or less. I won’t know till I break it down. How many words and pages can I do in a day or a week? I want to stretch myself – work toward it, but I also know I have to be realistic in my time managment.
T stands for Time – Figure out a plan of action with a deadline and small steps to be measured along the way.
Okay – so our first goal was to dream. Our next plan is to set some goals – two or three in a few areas. Professional – personal – spiritual – financial.
You go work on that and we will talk some more in the next couple days, okay??