Goals

     I was at a Christmas party/meeting/celebration the other night for Norwex where they talked all about setting goals. I was like, "This is perfect! It's about to be the new year and we all need to set goals!" But then they passed out the goal sheets, I sat there staring at it for the allotted time, and I realized something about myself... I'm not very good at setting goals. I always get stuck. I never know what my goals should be. As I was thinking about that more, it struck me that I always get stuck because I never want to set expectations. See, I think that the two go hand in hand. So I did a little research. To the dictionary!!

goal- noun: something that you are trying to do or achieve

expectation- noun: a belief that something will happen or is likely to happen

     Technically, they are separate. But the way that I see things, they go hand in hand. The belief behind the goal is what makes it happen. Usually, goals don't achieve themselves. They take work. And when you work towards something- you generally believe that you can reach the goal- or else why would you waste your time?

     Why don't I like expectations? I think it is because of fear. Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know that fear is something that I deal with a lot in my life. So, what exactly am I afraid of once I set the goal? The disappointment. What if I don't reach it? What if other expect me to? What if I disappoint others? What if I disappoint myself? What if...?

     What if I stop letting fear win and I dream? That's the point I need to reach. I need to take a moment and realize that goals are personal and individual. No one set goal is going to work for everyone! I mean, a really general goal like "happiness" or "health" might work for most people. But I can guarantee that the journey to achieve that goal will look very different for each and every person. *Disclaimer: happiness and health are great goals- but try and make them more specific!*

     I'm working on it and I challenge you to as well. Don't just set new year's resolution goals. Set life goals. No matter how big or small- they will make a difference. You will find a new motivation behind some of your daily decisions. "Don't let the fear of striking out, keep you from playing the game."