Breaking it down



"Goals are simply a way of breaking a vision into smaller, workable units" Nido Qubein

Week #5

Do you remember where I left off? A quick review:  I began by putting the areas in my life into categories and creating an acronym for them. (I chose re-search)  Then I selected basic principles that I wanted to use once I started creating the small steps and found an acronymn for that as well (BASIC).  I also wanted to come up with what I thought my part was in order to make the experiment a success.  Another acronym (PART) and finally, I pulled my plan into one statement. ‘ I will plan small steps looking at my Re-search, applying the basic principles and doing my part’.

It’s time now to go back to my eight categories  (RESEARCH) and take them one at a time, and break them down into the specific areas that I might want to work on.
 
Here’s two examples from my 8 categories:

R- Relationships (I think about all the different relationships I may want to create a small goal for)
1. Husband
2. Children
3. Sisters
4. Extended family members
5. Mother
6. Husband’s family
7. Friends
8. Business

H-Health- (I think I’d like to divide this category into two subcategories: Body and Mind)
A. Body
1. Appearance
2. Food
3. Exercise
4. Vitamins
5. Check-ups
6. Vital stats
7. Rest

B. Mind
1. Memory
2. Learning new things
3. Critical thinking

I’ll continue to break down each of my  8 categories.  I may choose to come back later and add to these lists. ( For your information, it doesn’t mean I’m going to have a goal in each of the areas; it just helps me break it down.)

Don’t let this part overwhelm you …just take it one small step at a time. Remember, I promised to do my PART when creating the steps.  P- Plan purposefully.  You’ll see next week how breaking down our vision will help us move on in our journey to great results…at least that’s my plan!

Homework
#1. Break down your categories into subcategories or lists.

Getting Organized - Remembering the 'Basics'

Organizing is what you do before you do something,
so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up”  A.A Milne

Week 4

In order to conduct my experiment to find out if making small changes will bring big results in my life, I have decided to go about it in a methodical, organized manner.  (By the way, this is NOT typically how I do things). Last week I shared my ‘eight great’ categories, the main areas of my life that I believe are important and I put them all together in an acronym  ‘RE-SEARCH’.  I also explained that I wanted to create some common principles that I will consider when I am deciding on the small steps I want to take.

When coming up with my principles…I also came up with another acronym to help me remember. I call it the BASICS:  A reminder to me that when I create my small steps I need to use principles that are basic for me.

B- Begin it now

A- Attitude

S- Simplicity

I - Intentional

C- Creative

Begin it now - As I mentioned last week, setting goals and then waiting for a later date to start working on them has not worked well for me in the past, so I’m determined to only set my small goals when I’m willing to begin the action now.

Attitude -  Have you ever set a goal and the minute you say the goal out loud… you cringe?  For example; 'I’m going to stop eating my chocolate York mints.'  Ouch…I’m already sad about it and I don't really want to give them up. That's a pretty good indicator it's not going to happen.  As I consider creating my small steps I want to believe that it’s doable and I want to have a positive and optimistic attitude, otherwise forget it!

Simplicity- the simpler, the better.  Not any long, drawn out, complicated plans. Short, simple..and sweet.

Intentional- As I get older, I realize the more I do ‘on purpose’ …the more fulfilling it is.  My dad used to have a phrase; ‘float along in life like a flea on a dog’s back’.  I don’t want to be a flea!  I think the more of an active participant I am in my life...the better. 

Creative- I love being creative, thinking creatively, and planning creative stuff.  I feel best when I’m in that mode in my life.  So why not use that as one of the principals I want to consider when planning.

So these are my BASIC principles for creating my small steps.

And finally…I know by now you’re probably wondering why we’re taking so ‘cotton pickin’ long to just create a few simple goals…right?  Just stick with me…we’re just about there.    I realize that in order to make small steps and see big results, I, like any red-blooded American citizen, need to come up with a Contract so I know what I am legally required to do.  Although there is no lawyer required, this is a reminder to me of what I have promised to do throughout the term of the experiment. In other words,  What I agree is my PART.   

I,  Karen Spencer, agree to do my PART when conducting this experiment to find out if small changes will bring big results in my life.

P- Plan each step purposefully.  I really want to think out my small steps and create a plan, not just glob them on a legal size yellow ledger, like I use to throw icicles on a Christmas tree when I was small.  I want a written record of them as well.

A -Act intentionally.  Once I create the step I want to bring it to my awareness on a regular basis.  Have you ever had someone ask you in March what your New Year’s resolutions were in January and for the life of you...you couldn’t remember.  I don’t want to hermetically seal my goals in a Skippy’s Peanut butter jar, to be taken out and inspected half way through the year, I want to regularly examine them.

R- Reflect regularly- Besides thinking about what my small goals are, I want to think about how my entire plan is working…what needs to be tweaked…what I am learning etc.

T- Take total responsibility.  Now this one is a big one!  You mean we have to be responsible?  Yep….totally.  So when we start to blame our circumstances on some unknown natural disaster…we have to ‘man up’ and say these words out loud.  ‘I am responsible’.
             

Ta Da!  So when I put it all together, then I have my plan for my experiment organized and clearly laid out.  And here's my statement that pulls it all together:

I will plan small steps looking at my ‘RE-SEARCH’, applying my ‘BASIC’ principles and do my ‘PART’.

Homework:

#1. Create your basic principles.

#2. Create a contract for yourself, with your part clearly laid out.

#3. Pull them all together into one statement.