VIsible Goals
Recent discussions at my day job have centered around "institutional memory" - you know, all those things that are stored in everyone's brains that never get translated into paper files. It's an important thing, not only at work, but in our day to day lives. If you are a mother, think about all of the things you do that you do on autopilot. What doesn't get done if you aren't there to do it? Does the cat get fed? Does anyone turn lights off? (that reminds me . . . maybe I'll write an if-something-happens-to-me-do-this-and-that letter to my husband . . .)
All that stuff is important because it's stored in your brain and no where else. When you dream about things, you generally store those goals and someday-I'm-gonnas in your head. But then your head gets filled up with everything else and it gets a little cluttered in there, so you need to do something to make those memories visible to you. Your dreams are important, and shouldn't get shunted aside just because you're busy with urgent things (there is a difference between important and urgent, but that's a post for another day).
Here are some tips to keep those "bits" visible:
All that stuff is important because it's stored in your brain and no where else. When you dream about things, you generally store those goals and someday-I'm-gonnas in your head. But then your head gets filled up with everything else and it gets a little cluttered in there, so you need to do something to make those memories visible to you. Your dreams are important, and shouldn't get shunted aside just because you're busy with urgent things (there is a difference between important and urgent, but that's a post for another day).
Here are some tips to keep those "bits" visible:
- Journal. Talk about your dreams, your goals, what you can do to make them a reality, what obstacles stand in your way and what you can do to surmount those obstacles. This reinforces the ideas in your brain, and helps you to work through the path from Point A to Point B.
- Visualize. This is a two-pronged method. Close your eyes and envision yourself reaching your goals - that's one. Another is to post a visual representation of your dream where you can see it every day, in a place that fits with your personal dream. For instance, if your goal is to take a trip to Ireland, get a photo of an Irish pub (yeah, yeah, I know . . . not everyone dreams like I do), cut it to size and fold it around your credit card. Every time you pull your card out to make a purchase, you will recognize that you are making a conscious choice about how to spend your money. Another example: my dream is to get my next book published, so I printed a single copy of it with a cool cover and have it sitting in a prominent place on the bookshelf above my desk.
- Enlist support. Tell people close to you what your goals are. Talking about it will make it more real, and will increase the "filing space" in your brain, plus it makes you accountable for your goals. If your goal is something work related, talk to your boss about ways he/she could assist you (if you need a reference book, perhaps the office could pay for it). Put a post-it note on your computer with your goal - again, think VISUAL!
- Break it down. Sit down with a pen and paper. Break your dream down into doable chunks. Think of it as a pyramid with the goal on top, with smaller goals on each level, and the bottom level will be the daily tasks that need to be done. Draw this out - give your dream an image that you can picture even when it's not right there in front of you.
- Schedule it. Take those daily tasks and put them on your calendar. I don't mean think about putting it on your calendar, I mean take out your Blackberry and schedule it! Or write it on your calendar at home in bright ink. Schedule time into your life to make those things happen. Using the Ireland example again, one of your smaller goals might be to get a passport. Schedule time to get a passport photo and print an application for a passport. You can do a little bit at a time and, before you know it, you'll be sippin' a Guinness in a pub!
Posted by Elle Robb at 5/4/2010 5:58 PM 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: goals dreams reaching goals institutional memory making dreams come true
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: goals dreams reaching goals institutional memory making dreams come true
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