Life Goals
We all have them, right? We do all the things others advise us to do in order to get those goals organized, hoping to have something accomplished by year’s end.
Come January, most of us have weight loss goals on our image boards, calendars and phone accompanied by an app hoping to help us get to where we want to be. Personal goals come and go and with time change as we age.
In my twenties, I wanted to work on a movie set. I made it as an extra and a production assistant in a gasoline commercial. I worked at Blockbusters (yeah, remember them), met Leonardo DiCaprio and thought for sure while living in Los Feliz I would be discovered as an actress.
In my thirties, I shifted to writing. I was always writing, but I took it seriously as a means of financial, mental, and spiritual success. I am still a work in progress.
What are your life goals for 2023? For 2026?
And by life goals, I mean anything you have yet to accomplish. You may be in the beginning, middle, or even end stage and still have a list of goals you want to hit before you consider yourself successful. Financially stable. Mentally and spiritually sound. Fit. You get the idea, right?
So, let’s organize a 3-year plan to get you started, restarted or moving in the right direction that makes you happy.
How to organize your tasks.
My first tip is do not wait for January. Think about what you want and the tasks you need to accomplish to get there.
Ex: Master’s degree in English. In 2017, I left a great job at UCLA to return to college as an undergrad. Instead of the recommended two years, I did it in 14 months. How? I wrote out my tasks and put them on the refrigerator so I could see them consistently and forced myself to stay on top of my game.
1. Create a checklist. If you don’t have one, there are tons of ideas on the internet. I will most likely create one for myself and add it to my website.
2. Find a free course, workshop, or video to get you started and fill you with ideas and projects.
3. Find a great and I mean really great paid course or workshop that once you are done, feels like you robbed the host. Get your money’s worth and then some.
4. Take notes. I take notes of everything, even things that seem like I won’t need them or have already written them down. Notes help you organize your thoughts, and organized thoughts help you manage your tasks.
5. Keep your checklist handy. On the fridge is great, but your phone is better. On a calendar you see everyday several times a day is better. Check something off the list at least once a week. This is a three-year plan. Take your time, enjoy the ride, and look back each week on what you have learned.
6. Always ask yourself, “Is this helping me reach my goal and finish this week’s task, or is it wasting my time?” I say this because I am always wasting time watching video after video to find the shortcut to get where I am going, but sometimes you just have to buy that $15 dollar eBook or that $100 dollar course and find the time in your busy schedule to get it done. Will you reach your goal in the end? If the answer is yes. Then do it.
7. Research everything. Are you attending college? Start searching for your sophomore year. Are you starting a business? Who has a successful one like yours? How did they do it? And how can yours be better or at least different? You get the idea. Whether you want to go to school, start a business, or lose weight, you need straightforward tasks to help you reach your goal.
I have lost 100 pounds three times in the last 30 years and finally I have kept at least 70 pounds off for the last five years. Even with the pandemic regain of 30 pounds, I have kept my weight in check with a checklist of dos and don’ts on my fridge, diary, notebooks and in my head on repeat that nothing else is needed.
However, with that being said, I love learning new things every day and how I can manage my weight constantly.
Those are the things we struggle with when fatness is an issue. I have accomplished many tasks and goals over the last 30 years and I look forward to helping you reach yours as you help me reach mine.
Let’s get this party started. What do you want by 2026?