Ok – We are just a few days into the New Year. Did you decide to make some goals or New Year’s resolutions? There are a few things I want to share with you to think about as the year progresses.
First, remember that you are doing better than you think you are. We are always hardest on ourselves.
As you read some of these thoughts, please feel free to share your own thoughts and successes on this blog so other mothers can benefit from your experiences and ideas.
My husband Devon and I started a new business 3 years ago when he was laid off after working with the company for 20 years. It was a scary time for us as we launched into a full-time real estate investment career. There were a lot of unknowns and so much we had to learn to become successful. I’d like to share with you some of the things we learned through the process:
- Set a Goal. Begin by looking for ways to enhance or improve who you are and without trying to become someone else, and one goal might be enough for a start. Don’t overwhelm yourself with trying to become perfect in all aspects of your life. You can add goals or resolutions anytime during the year; it doesn’t only have to happen on January 1st. Determine one thing that will help you become the person you want to be, or encourage you to complete a desired project. It is critical that it is important to YOU! It must be YOUR goal, or you will lose motivation to make it happen.
- Review where you have been. You won’t magically change your life without acknowledging what has happened in the past to get you where you are today. We started by evaluating our past experience with real estate and assessing what we already knew – what worked and what didn’t. Sometimes this was painful. This is where each of us needs to be to prevent us from setting unrealistic personal goals.
- Alignment. This is one of the most difficult aspects of following through with your goal. Everything you do during the day should assist in bringing you into alignment with your goal. As a mother, you don’t have a lot of control over “everything” that happens in your life every day, but whatever plans you make, be sure that these plans support your goal and will somehow get you a little bit closer.
- Tweak Your Goal. I am serious about this one. Sometimes we set goals and realize that there are other things that are more important, or there is another way to attain the desired results. Don’t get discouraged and don’t be afraid to modify or adjust the goal. Just recognize that you have grown more towards your goals, and adjustments must be made to the goal or the way you plan to achieve it if you are to be successful. It’s all part of progress.
Goals and resolutions are a way for each of us to help create a better self. As you work towards accomplishing your goals, you must always remember that you are part of a family and a community, and sometimes the needs of others take precedence over your personal desires. That’s just who you are as woman and mother. Embrace this part of yourself and appreciate the compassion and service that are inherent in all of us. Don’t allow the detours or bumps that happen every day deter you from your goals.
Smile! Enjoy the Ride! And embrace whatever success you achieve.
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This article was written by Deanne Taylor, President of Utah Mothers Association