Friday Night Reflections: Step 3

I recently attended a "life" workshop presented by the awesome Justin & Mary Marantz from Connecticut. They really emphasized the importance of having a balanced life, if we're ever to enjoy our lives at all.

One of the things they touched upon was writing down goals. They included a shocking statistic that only 20% (I believe of Americans) have goals. In life. Period. And of that only 4% WRITE down their goals.

I first started a goals list in 2007 with a 101 in 1001 list. This is a list of 101 goals to accomplish in 1001 days (which is about 3 years and some change). It's a fun list to make if you've never actually written down your goals before. My list included learning to cook, traveling to New York City, and meeting some well-known photographers.

And something that I've been doing only since early 2008 has been writing down my goals. And not just a list, but SMART goals, meaning specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. So instead of just having a list floating out in the world, you have a specific list of things to accomplish, with milestones that will confirm you completed your goals.

There's a statistic that says that if you write down your goals, you are 80% more likely to achieve them. (Sorry, no sources...)

Writing them down is only the first part. You must also review your goals and reassess your progress. When I've done this, I've surprised myself with how much I have accomplished.

So go ahead. Start with a list of 10 SMART goals.

Maybe your joie de vivre is on that list.

Bon-weekend!
Catie

PS, if you're wondering how to pronounce joie de vivre, it's [jwa deh vive-re].