03-21-2003 Celebrating The Journey: Step Five: Take Your Goals To School

Subject: Celebrating The Journey: Step Five: Take Your Goals To School

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Welcome to Celebrating the Journey!
Friday, March 21, 2003
Issue #108

Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and
celebrate the journey!
Fitzhugh Mullan and Barbara Hoffman

1. Welcome Notes
2. Step Five: Take Your Goals to School
3. Coaching: SMARTEN ‘Em Up!
4. Quotes for the Journey
5. Celebrating Out Loud
6. Humor, Sort Of: 11 Lessons I Learned in Nepal

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1. Welcome Notes

On this first day of spring, I write with a swirl of
mixed emotions. Warmed by and grateful for this
time of growth and transformation. And deeply
saddened by the conflict into which our country has
entered and its effect on the people of this planet.

Spring is a time of hope, and I choose to live in the
hope today and want that for each of you as well. We
most effectively support peace by living our lives in a
way that is true to our Selves and our values.

This time of unrest underlines once again the
importance of living each moment fully, of doing the
things that give us joy and enrich our lives, of
letting the ones we love know that we love them.
Kiss a baby, nuzzle a puppy, laugh out loud at least
once a day, smile into the eyes of someone you love,
breathe in the fresh spring air, plant a flower. And
envision world peace.

This is the sixth in a series of eight issues on The
Seven Steps to Successful Goal Setting. You can read
the previous four, and all past issues of CTJ, at
https://www.tothesummit.com/archive.

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2. Step 5: Take Your Goals to School

We’ve now used the vision we have for our life, the
values we hold dearest, and the roles we play in our
lives to create a list of goals for the year to come.

The final three steps of this process of successful goal
setting are about refining the great work you’ve
done already. To take this list of goals and SMARTEN
them up, look at what it is about each goal that really
excites you and then…choose the Big Ten.

What does it mean to SMARTEN up your goals? You
make them…

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Reasonably Realistic
Time Sensitive
Exciting
Nourishing to Your Values

SMARTENed goals will lead you toward them rather
than pushing you from behind. They are sourced in
desire rather than duty. They entice rather than
obligate. They are fun rather than drudgery. They
encourage you to take the steps toward them rather
than forcing you to.

We are much more likely to take the steps necessary
to reach SMARTENed goals than ones that do not
have those characteristics. To have the best chance
possible to reach your goals and have your best year
yet, SMARTEN ’em up.

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3. Coaching: SMARTEN ‘Em Up!

Go through your goals list one at a time. Ask yourself
if each one is:

SPECIFIC. If your goal is to lose weight this year,
how will you know when you’ve achieved it?
Technically you’ve reached it when you’ve lost a
single pound, and is that what you’re really aiming
for? Rather than I will lose weight, make it specific: I
will lose 15 pounds.

MEASURABLE. Again, if we can’t measure it, how
will we know when we reach it? A goal of being
more fit can technically be reached in a very short
period of time with very little action and very small
results. Is that what you really want? Make it
measurable: Run a 10K; do 100 crunches 5 days a
week; move my body a half hour every day.

Even less tangible goals, like having more peace of
mind, can be made measurable. How will you know
you have more peace of mind? Choose measurable
criteria. I’ll know I have more peace of mind when
my blood pressure is 20 points lower; when I don’t
raise my voice to my children; when I write a
gratitude list each evening. You get the idea.

ACHIEVABLE. There is an ideal balance between
unreachable and too easy in creating our goals. Goals
that invite us to stretch a little are motivating. Goals
that are too much of a stretch are de-motivating. The
idea is to create a goal that is challenging and not
impossible. The place of balance will differ from
person to person. Find yours in each goal.

REASONABLY REALISTIC. This, too, is a balance.
Too much realism destroys dreams, and dreams are
vital for a rich and fulfilling life. However, a frame of
reality around our goals is also important.

If you are totally out of shape, setting a goal to climb
Mt. Everest this year is a setup to fail. You can
reframe it to climb Everest in 5 years and create
fitness goals for this year that will lead to that longer
term goal. It may still seem close to impossible, and
this is the kind of dream that will draw you forward
to reach your shorter term goals.

Don’t completely dismiss your idea because it isn’t
realistic. See how you can adjust or revise it so that it
is something that you can do in a realistic timeframe.

TIME SENSITIVE. It is more motivating when a goal
is Time Sensitive, when it has a deadline. We all have
experienced how easy it is to put a goal on the
backburner. Having a set completion date keeps the
goal on the frontburner and helps keep us inspired
and on track.

EXCITING. If a goal doesn’t excite you, cross it off the
list! If we are not excited and enthusiastic about a
goal, it becomes a should and an obligation and a
setup to fail. We take actions that draw us forward
much easier than those that push us from behind.

NOURISHING TO YOUR VALUES. Is the goal in
alignment with the values you wrote down in Step 1?
Is there any conflict between them? A lack of
congruity between goals and values is the clearest
sign that a goal is a should rather than heartbased.
And it is one of the biggest predictors of failed goals.
If a goal does not directly support your values, cross
it off the list!

Does each goal meet these criteria? If not reword
them so they do or drop them! If you are unable to
find a way to SMARTEN a goal up, it’s much less
likely you will achieve it. Let those go. You’ll be left
with a list of goals that are meaningful, rich, exciting,
and fulfilling.

What we are about here is creating goals that you will
reach rather than one more set that ends up in the
back of the drawer – again. SMARTENed goals create
a foundation for you to succeed at your life, however
you define success. SMARTEN up your goals and be a
winner in your own life.

This is a great editing process for your list of goals.
Next week we’ll edit some more by using your
intuitive curiosity, laying the groundwork for Step
Seven, creating a final list of the ten goals which,
when achieved, will make the next year the best
you’ve ever had.

I have borrowed and adapted some of this material
from my good friend and fabulous fellow coach
Rachelle Disbennett-Lee. Her email newsletter 365
Days of Coaching is one of the best resources I know.
You can read past issues and subscribe on her website
at http://www.coachlee.com. I highly recommend it!

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4. Quotes

What we’ve worked and hoped for doesn’t show,
until one morning we wake to find a field of miracles.
Flavia

What you get by achieving your goals is not as
important as what you become by achieving your
goals.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The difference between dreams and goals is a time
line.
Dr. Phil McGraw

Examine what you believe to be impossible, then
change your belief.
Dr. Wayne Dyer

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5. Celebrating Out Loud

The more you praise and celebrate your life,
the more there is in life to celebrate.
Oprah Winfrey

Mare Wheeler is celebrating the completion of a trek
in Nepal that was, “Truly a life changing experience
that gave me the courage to make much needed
changes in other areas of my life!” Mare’s trip is a
perfect example of a SMARTENed goal and the
unexpectedly rich consequences of achieving it. You
can celebrate with Mare at Wheeler.Mare@mayo.edu.

Celebrate the events, miracles, blessings,
achievements, gifts of your life with us at
mailto:celebrations@tothesummit.com.

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6. Humor, Sort Of: 11 Lessons I Learned in Nepal

I shared the celebration of Mare Wheeler’s Nepal trek
in Celebrating Out Loud. Here are the lessons she
learned there, amusing and wise in equal doses.
Enjoy. Thanks, Mare!

1. Don’t even bother saying you can’t do it. Just do it
and grin afterwards.

2. It’s your trek. Do it your way.

3. So let the natives laugh – this is not about what
other people think.

4. The most delicious thing is cold water from a
mountain stream on the back of your neck after
climbing “The Gurnung 3000” (steps, that is!).

5. It’s ok to swagger. You did the trek, you earned
the right.

6. Just like AA, all you have to bring is willingness.
The gifts are all waiting for you.

7. If it’s not Coolmax or Duofold, don’t bother
bringing it.

8. When the path is only 9 inches wide, with the
dropoff on the left and the mountainside on the right,
when the pack animals come through, go to the right.

9. Trekkers never turn down books to read from
other trekkers. It’s a universal trekking law
somewhere.

10. On the trek you will face your dragons.
Guaranteed. Don’t let that keep you from enjoying
the scenery, however.

11. Flat in Nepal = up, up, up, down, down, down.

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Give yourself the gift of SMARTENed up goals this
week, and as always, Celebrate Life!

Namaste, Margo

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Hiring a Life Coach is a great way to be supported in
making this year the best year of your life. Margo has
a few slots open for motivated clients who are
committed to taking the actions to create the life you
dream of living. To schedule a consultation, send an
e-mail to mailto:margo@tothesummit.com. Visit our
website at https://www.tothesummit.com for
additional resources and tools.

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My purpose in publishing Celebrating the Journey is
to provide you with resources, motivation,
inspiration and energy for YOUR journey of creating
success and freedom in all areas of your life. CTJ will
use stories from my life and others, coaching tips and
resources, quotes and humor to deliver a learning
experience that can enhance your life. I am always
looking for comments, ideas and ways to improve
CTJ. I welcome your e-mails at
mailto:margo@tothesummit.com.

I invite you to share Celebrating the Journey with
your mailing list, friends, and associates. We ask only
that the entire e-mail with copyright and credits be
included. The author of this article is Margo
Chisholm. You may contact her at (831) 661-0776 or at
mailto:margo@tothesummit.com.

—
“The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting
for our wits to grow sharper.” Eden Phillpotts

Margo Chisholm
The Freedom Coach
Want more freedom in your life?
Visit https://www.tothesummit.com to schedule your free
coaching session. Or call 831-661-0776.

Celebrating The Journey is a free, mostly
weekly email newsletter, full of resources and
quotes, humor and coaching to support you
in having the life you REALLY want. Visit
https://www.tothesummit.com to subscribe.

—
“The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting
for our wits to grow sharper.” Eden Phillpotts

Margo Chisholm
The Freedom Coach
Want more freedom in your life?
Visit https://www.tothesummit.com to schedule your free
coaching session. Or call 831-661-0776.

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