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Tag: goals

Believe in dreams

Two years ago I went to India. At the time I was frustrated and uninspired but had revisited a list I wrote many years prior; the Taj Mahal was on that list.

I couldn’t find anyone to go with me, so I went, alone, determined to make this dream come true. 

I will never forget the feeling of awe and accomplishment when I arrived: A long-time vision made tangible. I watched sunset and returned for sunrise and walked around in a daze.

When I visited Mount Rushmore, I was disappointed; the size and the proportions didn’t seem to match what I had seen in history books. Yet this. This marvel exceeded my imagination.

Only now do I recognize the strength, courage, and resilience it took for me to get there.

For all those fighting silent battles;

For dreamers who remain committed to their visions;

For those stubborn enough to persist against all odds;

And for the few who dare to create and build: I see you.

Keep dreaming. Believe in your dreams like your life depends on it (it does).

Change starts with awareness

What has worked in the past might not work now.

Start with your thoughts. Follow them. Make a list of your wishes and fears, doubts and insecurities, the things you want, and the conversations you’re having.

And challenge them.

Ask whether the thoughts you’re having are true.

Decide if your conversations are helpful.

Are your doubts and fears based in fact?

Change begins with awareness.

Last year it was 35 acts of kindness. This year: 36 letters.

Getting older isn’t always looked upon favorably, but I’d like to think I’m becoming more confident and more thoughtful each year. On August 6, I turn 36.

Leading up to my birthday, my goal is to write 36 letters. The hope is to share gratitude and inspire generosity and love within my friend circles.

Consideration should be the norm, not the exception, and I believe — now more than ever before — it is our responsibility to make the communities in which we live more tolerant and kind. That’s my birthday wish.

Bookmark your dreams

Many years ago, a coach gave me an assignment that changed my life.

Write down 50 – 100 things you’d like to do.

My original list contained almost 90 items, goals ranging from learning to tie a necktie to finishing a marathon. I revisit this list from time to time. It has served as a guidepost for sorting out impulse and helping me decide whether my choices are circumstantial or made with intention.

It’s impossible to forge ahead if you don’t have a direction. (I didn’t always know this.) When you focus your efforts, you’re much more likely to get it done.

Step 1: Make time

Mark your calendar and commit. Set aside one undisturbed hour in a space you feel comfortable.

Step 2: Write

While writing your list, let yourself play and dream. Don’t pause to question. Don’t edit. Just write.

Step 3: Bookmark

Place your list someplace safe so you can return to it and reassess whether these goals are where you’d like to concentrate your energy. It’s never “too late” to dream.

Modified from Dream Chasers, posted December 2012.

Takeaways from two weeks of “Positive Talk”

14 people from around the world signed up to join me in a small experiment: For two weeks, I would commit to daily discussions focused on Good Things.

I spoke with Italians, Brits, folks in the United States, Sweden, and Nepal. On some days I had to talk myself up for the session; other days I looked forward to thirty minutes of positivity.

At the beginning of each call, I asked participants to rank themselves on a scale of 0 to 10 (0 for on-the-floor depression and 10 for something close to contagious joy). At the end of our call, I asked for another self-ranking. 12 out of the 14 participants reported an increase in positive feelings. The other two reported no change, having already reported high levels of feeling. I, too, found myself feeling better at the end of the calls.

But beyond feeling better, I felt seen. Those thirty minutes became a plug-in of support, encouragement, and connection. Many participants echoed battles with imposter syndrome — “Am I good enough, capable enough, strong enough, ready enough, productive enough, gentle enough, prepared enough?” Time management was another expressed hurdle, but it was rephrased as a goal that could be conquered.

And in all of these calls, it became clear that even when the world seems upside down, we have the ability to write our own narratives. We have the choice to fall into old, self-sabotaging coping strategies or tap into traits that can set us up for something greater. We can choose to see ourselves through a compassionate lens, or we can cling to memories that no longer apply. Our stories can become ones of curiosity and growth.

There’s no telling when or if things will return to “normal.” This experiment, however, reminded me there are many things still in our control. We can make time to connect, and we can train our minds to focus on creation, empathy, and compassion — for ourselves and for others. I’m thankful to all those who participated in this experiment with me.

Try for yourself: Set a calendar of participants (ask friends, family, and colleagues), keep a journal of notes, and record pre- and post- rankings for each call. Let me know how it goes.

2 weeks, 30-minute conversations, good things only

Every day for the next two weeks I am committing to one thirty-minute conversation focused only on Good Things.

Good Things include: Goals, ideas, projects, dreams, successes, accomplishments, moments that bring satisfaction and contentment, creation, acts of kindness.

Call it pro-bono coaching, but this is as much for me as it might be for you.

Interested? Sign up here.