Goal Setting

I've been reading a book called The Magic Lamp this past year. It has an interesting take on goal setting. The Magic Lamp author says instead of saying "I'm going to work on my goals" which is boring and sounds like you're eating dry autumn leaves you should say, "I'm going to make my dreams come true." The book takes you through a selection process where you choose some things that you want to make happen and that you believe you can make happen. We're talking reach for the stars, but keep it in the do-able range. I am probably not going to become a rock star, y'know?

Like many moms, for a decade or so goals have focused somewhat around children and ensuring a certain amount of "domestic tranquility" in our home. My oldest has autism, so for a span of about seven years I focused on organizing intensive therapy for him. Truthfully, in those years, my main goal was to learn as much about autism and its treatment as I could. Many things were set aside in that time. That's how I became so connected to my computer, attending the University of Google, as Jenny McCarthy put it. But Jenny was a teenager when I was a student of UG.

Anyway, I'm setting goals for this year. They're my own goals and not related to kids. The Magic Lamp suggests that you get up earlier, turn off the TV, etc. in order to make your dreams come true. It's a bit cliche, but at the end of your life you're not going to say, "Darn it, I missed the season finale of Big Brother."

One goal I have is to develop two antique inspired doll patterns for sale. I'm about 1/2 way there with an Izannah Walker inspired doll pattern. If I work intensively on it, I believe I can get that done by October. But it may mean being on the computer less for fun, or watching less HGTV. HGTV is almost evil, because you can feel like you're accomplishing something while you actually do nothing. Hey, while you're watching whole rooms and houses are being tranformed, so you're really doing something, right?

If you don't know where you are going,
you'll end up someplace else.
Yogi Berra

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