Goal Setting

I am one to procrastinate and I admit I have a short attention span.  My life seems to be ongoing moments of “Squirrel”.  I am finding it harder and harder to complete things and to keep on track. So I am writing a blog about goal setting as a way to help improve my life.  

What I have read is that “goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality.”  Setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation. It helps you to focus and organize your time and resources so that you can make the most out of your life.  

Goal setting can be used to organize responsibilities and tasks for a day (ie. a to do list) or a weekly/monthly planner.  I am thinking more the “Big Picture” type personal goal setting.  There are three things you need to do to set your goals. First, create your “big picture” of what you want to do with your life (in say, the next 10 years). Identify the large-scale goals you want to achieve. Then break these goals down into smaller targets you must hit to reach your goals. Finally, once you have your plan, start working on the tasks needed to achieve these goals.

For instance, I want to go to University for Nursing. That is the “Big Picture”. In order to do this I must first graduate from high school; I also have to take specific science courses in high school; and get good grades in these courses. So small tasks I would have to do are: take the appropriate classes, attend classes, get good grades, and pass the course.  

A useful way of making goals more powerful is to use the SMART mnemonic, which stands for:

S – Specific (or Significant)

M – Measurable (or Meaningful)

A – Attainable (or Action-Oriented)
R – Relevant (or Rewarding)

T – Time-bound (or Trackable)

So instead of my prior goal statement “ to go to University for Nursing”, it’s more powerful to use the SMART goal of “To be accepted into the Nursing program at the University of Windsor in September 2018”.

When you achieve a goal, take time to enjoy the satisfaction of having done so. Rewarding yourself for achieving a goal helps build your self-confidence and self-esteem.

Personal Goal Setting: Planning to Live Your Life Your Way

https://www.mindtools.com/page6.html

Happiness is Ivory Ella

I said I would write a blog about happiness. The timing couldn’t be any better for this blog. I have never been happier then right now. I just received my order of two long sleeve shirts from Ivory Ella. The anticipation. The excitement. Apparently the key to happiness is shopping. My mother is giving me the evil eye for simplifying happiness.  So if I want to live another day to shop, I better expand this blog.

Well, it also makes me happy to know that with my purchase I am supporting a good cause. Ivory Ella donates 10% of its sales to Save the Elephants charity. It feels good to contribute to a global initiative to save the planet and animals; and that makes me happy.

As well, the elephant logo is so cute; it would make anyone feel happy. The company attaches to every article of clothing a little elephant card with positive affirmations. 

The cards read, 

You are Incredible
You are Valuable
You are Outstanding
You are Radiant
You are Youthful

You are Elegant
You are Lovely
You are Likeable
You are Amazing 

These affirmations made me feel happy. So I started to think, what are Affirmations? And why are they used to boost one’s happiness? Well, affirmations are positive statements that describe a desired belief, situation or goal.  When these statements are repeated often, they become truths to the subconscious mind. This process causes the conscious mind to strive to work on your behalf to make the positive statement come true.  When you know how to use affirmations, you possess a great tool for achieving success, happiness, and improving your life.

Most people repeat in their minds negative words and statements such as “I can’t do this”, “I stupid”, or “It’s not going to work out”. Words have the ability to build or destroy. It is the way we use them that determines whether they are going to bring positive or negative results.  It is important to know that saying positive statements for 5 minutes a day and then thinking negative for the rest will not bring about positive change. If you want to get positive results you have to refuse to think negative thoughts.

                          

                         

This is how to use Affirmations

1. Choose affirmations that are not too long.
2. Repeat them every time your mind is not engaged in something important. You may also repeat them in special sessions of 5 -10 minutes several times a day.
3. Be relaxed
4. Pay full attention to the words you are repeating.
5. Have some faith or belief in what you are saying. As my mother says, “Fake it till you make it”.  It is not easy to fully accept positive statements when your conscious mind is not used to hearing them.
6. Choose positive words with no negative connotations. For example, if you want to lose weight do not say, “I want to lose …”. Negative statements bring into the mind mental images of what you do not want. Instead repeat, “I am my ideal weight”.
7. Most importantly, use the present tense, not the future tense. Make the statements as if they have happened. Saying, “I am happy” rather then “I will be happy”.  By stating what you want to be true in your life, you mentally and emotionally see and feel it as true, in spite of your current situation.

8. So I decided to try to implement affirmations in my daily routine. My positive affirmations are:

I am happy and healthy
My family and friends love me
I am smart and successful
I am rich and shopping (hee hee) 

                                       

http://www.successconsciousness.com/index_00000a.htm
The Power of Affirmations By Remez Sasson

http://ivoryella.com/