Cultivating The Goals

My return from vacation has me worrying about finishing up my goals for the year.  Worrying.  Why am I worrying?  Is there a time line that I must complete my goals?  No.  Am I afraid of failing?  Sure.  Am I going to be punished for failing?  No.  Is there someone else waiting for me to fail?  Probably.  Am I going to let this perfectionism and comparison hold me back this year?  Not for one second.

My goals for the year are written and ready to go.  I'll admit, every time I think about going in and working on my Action Plan for these goals, I get a little anxious.  This anxiety is also known as fear.  When I start feeling anxious, I have to pull out my journal and write until I get to the root of it and LET IT GO!

I guess I am still in Disney mode this week.  Wishing upon a star to take me back to Orlando.  At least I took some of my down time while in Orlando to brainstorm on my goals.

 

That said, here are the goals I've developed so far for 2018.  Judging myself while I type, I am working hard to resist pointing out that they seem vague (Resist-->FAIL).  To me, they are well thought out and show what I am really searching for this year.  Connection and meaning in my relationships, my interests, and in my job.  I want a more meaningful life.  Skin deep isn't working for me anymore.  I want deeper relationships and to develop stronger bonds with friends and family.  Focusing on what's important and no longer focusing on things.

• Deeper relationships with friends.
• Financial freedom.
• Personal Care.
• Stronger relationship with   .
• Greater success in my side-hustle with R+F.
• Living a creative life as a successful artist.
• Being Present in all Interactions.  (This means putting the phone down and living in the moment).
• Healthier Living
• Deeper relationships with family, especially my sibblings.

My anxiety is coming forth now as I TRY to put an Action Plan into place for each of these goals.  I've flipped open this page a hundred times and here it sits now.  Blank.  There are just as many of these pages as there are goals.  I'd love to tell you I'm just too busy, but isn't busy just a distraction or an excuse?  I'm not too busy, I'm not prioritizing it because of fear.  Fear of failure.  Fear of success.  It doesn't matter what the OF is, only that I tend to be paralyzed by fear.

Fear is what divides.  Fear is what holds us back.  Fear is what keeps us from living the life we want.  Fear is the main thing I fight against every. single. day.  Fear is greed.  Fear is jealousy.  Fear is comparison.  Fear is anxiety.  When we are fearful, we worry....constantly.  Worrying is like praying for the exact thing you don't want.  So facing my fears has just moved to my top goal of the year.  If I can learn to face my fears, I know I can accomplish anything.  

This leads me to a new goal:  Cultivate the Courage to Face My Fears --> Be Brave.  Easy enough, right?  When you face your fear, you take away it's power.  It's hold on you is no longer there when you look at it in the face.  When you break down the fear, you quickly see that there is nothing to fear.  Fitting at this time, that this quote pops up in my mind.

"The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself." - FDR 
(edited -- I clearly had MLK,Jr on my mind)

So now that I know what's holding me back, let's look at the Action Plan.  First of all, WHY is this a goal?  What is it about committing to this goal that truly matters to me?  What will be the positive effect on my life and others?  How will I feel in six months having made progress on this goal?  Do you see where this action plan is taking you?  It's taking you the short distance to give you a taste of success.  It's putting all the "pros" out there for you.  Allowing you to see that what you want is really attainable.  My word of the year is Brave and that is exactly how I will tackle the fear....with bravery.

What are your 2018 goals?  What is your plan of action for achieving them?