Goal Setting 101

by Heidi on June 16, 2010

I’m coming up on my 3 month mark at my job which means, next week I have what’s called my success meeting. A meeting to discuss where I’m at, where I’m going and how things are going.

I’ve thought a LOT about my personal development, where I’m going, where I’ve been and where I WANT to go. I re-set my goals, and reevaluated my life and my passions.

Here’s what I came up with:

Passions: yoga. writing. being healthy (though I realize I have a ways to go as I skipped yoga tonight and went to Dairy Queen. My defense, I was running late and would have been late for class. And I’m going tomorrow, spinning friday, going to Aquafit Saturday, and yoga Sunday.)

What I’m good at: teaching, inspiring, social media, writing

How I can make $$: My company. Obvi. And yoga. I want to teach yoga and teach others to lead healthy lifestyles.

My “big hairy audacious goal” (BHAG): In ten years or so, I want to own my own yoga studio.

Seriously.

I mean, I want to write a book. I want to run an international race. I want to be debt free.

BUT! Here’s the thing with goals. They’re SO MUCH more powerful if you write them in the present tense. That’s been my biggest take away from work.

So let’s revisit those goals…

I own my own yoga studio by 2020

I complete my novel by 2011

I complete 200 hour yoga teacher training by 2015

I finish an international race by 2015

I buy a bike by 2013

I am debt free by 2015..

(these are not ALL of my goals…merely a few)

You get the point. Now here’s the debate. When you set goals for yourself, do you share them with the interwebs? Clearly I chose to, but some say that telling others your goals is a mistake because they try to shoot you down. Others say you SHOULD tell others your goals because that way others can support you in achieving them. What say you interwebs? Do you share your goals with others?

Now you’re probably all like wtf Heidi? And I’m like, inorite.

But I wanted to tell a little story. It’s short I swear. But hubs asked tonight how I came to wanting to own a yoga studio. I mean, in the past five years I’ve gone from wanting to run for public office, to wanting to become a millionaire lobbyist in DC to wanting to become a teacher, to now wanting to own a yoga studio.

But ultimately, and I realized this as I was writing my goals, I still want to teach and inspire. My reasoning behind wanting to teach never changed. Only the subject matter. I am CONSTANTLY so inspired by my yoga instructors – I mean one of them is a single mother who opened her own yoga studio, another is a Harvard MBA. You run into all sorts of people who just have such amazing stories but ultimately…the same message.

But dating back to when I first wanted to become a teacher, it wasn’t to teach about history…it was to inspire students to want to learn more about history. Ultimately, I found that I didn’t care enough about wanting to go back to school to make it all work, but I did find through my job now that I do still want to teach and inspire others. I’m lucky to have found something that I feel very, very passionate about. It won’t happen anytime soon, I still have a long ways to go with my own practice but I want to and know that I will eventually teach and inspire others the way my own yoga instructors have with me over the past few months.

So what’s your big, hairy, audacious goal??

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  • http://www.dogsandwine.com Liz @ Dogs & Wine

    I have a few. And I am going to be brutally honest about them.

    I will get this weight off. I keep falling off the wagon in terms of doing this because I use my weight as a crutch. I sabotage all of my attempts because I’m afraid. Dumb, right? So yea, that’s number one. So yes, by this time next year, I would like to be 3 pant sizes smaller, and ultimately down 4 sizes by the end of next year.

    I want to finally graduate from college.

    By 2012, I want to be in a job that is not customer service. I don’t care if I’m an assistant, but it’s my goal that in about two years I will be in a job with growth potential and a future.

    I will run a 5k before this time next year.

    And finally, as retarded as this sounds, I will live in an apartment for more than one year by 2013. :-)

    The end.

  • http://www.dogsandwine.com Liz @ Dogs & Wine

    Oh, and I want to have good credit by 2013. :-)

  • http://twentyfivebeforetwentyfive.blogspot.com Christy

    My whole blog is about goals…25 things to do before I turn 25 and yes, it is an ambitious list, especially given the 2 year timeframe and some people, family members included are SO negative about it. They look at it and say, there’s no way you’ll be able to do all of that. And it drives me crazy. It really bothers me that people that read my blog (read, complete strangers) are more supportive than family, but I guess that’s why I have a blog, right? I don’t have a BHAG yet, but I have a lot of goals that add up to the way I want to be able to look back on =)

    And I think owning a yoga studio is an incredible goal!

  • http://zubrowka24.blogspot.com/ Lexi

    These are excellent goals. This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. I feel like I have goals, but I often lack the motivation to accomplish them, and it isn’t as though they (well, most) are terribly difficult. I think I am going to introduce small rewards…you know, like if I go to yoga once a week for three months, then I can buy some yoga-lulu-fancypants :)

  • http://bellerenee.wordpress.com Renee

    I am so impressed and SO PROUD of all of this!! You are totally rocking, girl!

    I want to pay off my credit card by 2012. I want to travel overseas by 2013. I want to have my Ph.D. by 2017.

    Yes yes and yes. Let’s do it.

  • http://themoderngal.blogspot.com The Modern Gal

    I’d like to write my own novel (or two) as well. I’ve got the ideas and some of the character development done, but my life has been so restless for the past few years that it’s been tough eking out time for it (not to mention since I spend my days at work writing, I don’t always want to do it when I come home). I’m not putting a deadline on myself, just trying to find ways to squeeze it in here and there, and if things settle down and my life gives me a little more time, great. If not, I’m fine with it being an ongoing project.

    I’d also love to own my own biz at some point, but I’ve never settled on what kind. Probably food or drink oriented.

  • http://tlcbooktours.com/ trish

    I don’t write down my goals or even say them aloud. But with that said, I’ve been working on paying off me and my husband’s debt these past two years (almost done! We’ll finish paying it off this year!). After that, I want to pay off my car, and I want to put new windows in the condo we have. I’d like to buy a house, but with the market the way it is, I don’t have a date, just the goal. :)

    By the way, I sent you an email! I hope it doesn’t go to spam.

  • http://heavenisabookstore.blogspot.com Heidi

    My goal is to continue being happy. It has been a long road to find peace and happiness in my life and I want to keep it. My quote is “she is finally living the life she always wanted” for the year. Share, don’t share; I say do what makes you happy and those who don’t approve tell them to F*off. lol You can do it.

  • http://justcallmesassy.blogspot.com sassy molassy

    These are awesome goals, Heidi! I would love to work for lulu (btw), but my city is a bit small and doesn’t have a Lulu. The closest one for me is Portland, OR.

    I’m kind of frightened to write/say a BHAG outloud. It’s scary for sure. I’d love to write a book or be in marketing/editing for a health/fitness company or magazine. I want to run an international marathon as well. And do a bike trip in Europe during the Tour de France.

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