BellaOnline Forums Beauty and Self Life Coaching What are your Five Year Goals?

OK here we are in January 2010.

On one hand it's a little frustrating that I haven't made strong progress in some of these fronts. I still don't have a romance book published. I still haven't finished my wedding book. The house is still pretty much a mess. I'm still not 125 pounds

But on the other hand, BellaOnline remains stable and growing. So that is a HUGE important thing for me, the most important thing, and I'm very proud of that.

James is steadfastly finishing his college degree. So this is also extremely important to me, that nothing stands in the way of him achieving that, and then moving on to whatever next step he chooses to take.

Travel is sort of a nebulous goal. I do enjoy traveling, and I do continue to travel. So I suppose I am achieving that.

I am making continual but slow progress on clearing out the house of junk. I don't bring in any new items really. So that is good.

Here are my five year goals:

1) See my publishing company on solid ground with good growth potential.

2) Have established myself as a consultant, combining fitness & beauty together.

3) Have fundraisers in place for our organization, Teaching The Autistic Through Living and Learning. (annual events, etc.)

4) Begin competing in fitness competitions, which is something I'd like to do for life.

5) Buy a local cottage and renovate it as office space for my business.

I had not actually written down my goals, to tell it truthfully. It was much easier than I thought it would be!

Nancy Welker
BellaOnline Yoga Editor

Bravo Nancy!

I especially love the cottage-turned-office goal. That sounds delightful! Environment is so important as we work toward our goals/dreams.

And I agree writing goals down is not as difficult as it may seem, also goals seem more doable when you get them out of your head and onto paper.

Good luck and please keep us posted!

Lisa,

I hear what you are saying, I also have some things that remain on my to-do list that are frustrating me. Like there�s one particular article that I worked really hard on last year that I�m having a very difficult time trying to place. Then there�s another that I�m stalled on. These outstanding projects bug me.

But I�ve had some successes last year that were not planned at all. I signed up to learn a new software program for FREE through the Department of Labor. Also my daughter had a lead in the school play in 2009 and that was a bit of work helping her to learn her lines, securing the costume etc and it went off without a hitch. The play was perfect. And in 2009, we worked our tails off to get my son into a good middle school.

So I�m trying not to let what I did not get done, outweigh what was accomplished. I�m thinking of it like a report card. When I was in high school, I�d get mostly A�s and B�s and few C�s and the occasional D. So overall, my GPA was fine. And it�s like that with my life too I believe. I may have a few �below average� scores, but overall I�m doing OK.

Those are awesome goals Nancy - I love the cottage idea!!

Leah - you are so right. It is common for people to focus on their failures, and I need to focus on the successes and to plow forward.

So my goals in 2010 are:

* BellaOnline Stable and Growing.
* Next Weddings Books Published
* One romance book published
* Son graduate from college (only a few classes to go)
* House organized (day by day!)
* Travel
* Yoga and Piano
* 125 pounds

I'm going to add onto this:

* Earn a Bachelor's Degree

I have gone hot and cold with this last one for many years now. Sometimes I think there's no need - it won't "help" any and it will cost money and time. But on other hands I worry that it helps me in promoting BellaOnline, and I want to do my utmost to help BellaOnline in every way I can. Also, if I get a degree in management, the classes will directly help me care more for my BellaOnline editors, which is very important to me. So every class will help me be a better mentor.

So I am starting to sway on this one towards investing the time. I don't want to take away from editors by taking classes instead, because I'm already flat out with time. I already work 24 hours a day. But I really think if I take the classes that I might "work more efficiently" so I can help them more smoothly.

Lisa, congrats on your new goal to get a degree! I'm not all that pro-degree myself but I am always pro-learning. You of course are too and are always self-educating (I've always said one of the most important parts of education is that it teaches one HOW to learn and you've got part down.

And, even though I am not sure my degree has ever been "necessary", I have always appreciated that I had it. I do think there is some inherent value in the process on a personal level. So, if you've been thinking about it for awhile, I'm sure you will appreciate doing it.

Yay for you! I'm sure it will be a great adventure.

By five years I fully intend to have my off the grid green home, hopefully a treehouse type deal, with an organic garden, grey water system, compost, a near-zero trash footprint, the home made of largely salvaged materials, etc. Some chickens, goats, geese.

I will have been maintaining my healthy weight levels, be doing advanced yoga and supporting myself financially in my chosen area of earnings. I will have a creative hobby that might also be a sideline.

I will have close friendships in proximity to where i live, and a group of people who like to meet once a week for fun.

I will be planning many hiking and boating trips every month.

I will have this as a home base and will have set down stable roots.

I will be able to donate time to animal charities.

And a big one - I will have a diagnosis for my mental situation and will be getting therapy that is helpful and uplifting.

Jilly, those are great, and if you substitute "I have" for "I will", you have excellent affirmations and visualizations for your future! My reading has (for years) said this and I'm trying to do a better job of it now. For instance, at night, I say "I am in perfect health." I used to say "I hope I don't get sick. I wish I felt better. I hope this cold doesn't turn into a sinus infection" and stuff like that. The Secret (and many other books) talk specifically a lot about this. So, I'm rewriting all my goals & priorities with this in mind--to be affirming and not "anticipatory".

Jilly those are awesome, wonderful goals!

Deb you are so right - we need to focus on the positive and make steps towards that direction!