Monday, Dallin took me to Cabela's to watch the feeding of the fish...I know, I know...sounds lame. However, it was pretty exciting, morbid at times when the fish were fighting over a live goldfish to devour, but still intriguing to see the fish scurry to the food so quickly. I was shocked, however, that more of the children watching were not disturbed. I then realized they are probably children of hunters, who bring home heads of their kills with dangling, bloody flesh. So, watching fish eat other fish is child's play to them. We then walked around looking at all of the taxidermy displays they have in the store and I was able to wow Dallin with all of my taxidermy knowledge of how it is done due to an old friend who had his own taxidermy business. He was impressed, whether he admits it or not!
On Friday, I got to go night-skiing (snowboarding in my case). The snow was perfect. They had just recieved 20 inches the night before. Such a difference literally gliding down on snow that is silent rather than the ice chunks and slush that cause a scratching sound, which I am used to at many California resorts. Funny story from the trip: Dallin and I were waiting in the lift line behind two 7-year-old boys who were being 7-year-olds with their joking and bumping and such, when one pushed a little too hard and the other fell onto the rail. He started crying which aroused his mom to check on him by asking (I swear, this is EXACTLY what she said...to a 7-year-old), "Did you impel yourself on the ski rail?" We almost died laughing! Who uses that sort of vocabulary with a 7-year-old, let alone one who is in pain?!?! We later joked that his response would have been, "Yes, mother. I recieved a minor laceration from the impelment." It was amusing to me.
LOVING the snowThe excitement of the week, and challenge to all who read, is goals. I have a rekindled love for goal making. I came across some old notes that emphasize the importance of goals and the four areas that we should be making them in. The key: making sure all areas are balanced. Here are the four areas, in no specific order:
1. Spiritual
2. Physical
3. Social
4. Intellectual
Wishing all a happy second week of March. Spring is almost here!
2. Physical
3. Social
4. Intellectual
Another key, have the long-long term goal, and then break it down into short-term goals that range from goals to obtain in a week, then a month, then a year, and so on. Also, WRITE THEM DOWN. I am only 22 and I forget what I had for breakfast, let alone goals I make, so writing them down is important to remember. Reading over these notes ignited a desire in me to be more up to date on my goals. By obtaining them, change occurs and we can become better people, "the kind of person you want to be" (Joseph B. Wirthlin).
On a different note, I finally broke down and bought a new toothbrush. My neon green Oral-b that I got from Santa many, many years ago has served it's time. The batteries no long keep their charge longer than a day, the plastic on the base is cracked, in a nutshell, the toothbrush has been well used. So, here it is-the much needed new toothbrush! Just like the beloved old one, only improved.
Wishing all a happy second week of March. Spring is almost here!
More on goals. Thank you Uncle Bruce!
ReplyDeleteEverything feels more complicated in 2009. No one really knows what will happen tomorrow, let alone next month, or heaven help us, next year. When it gets this complex, I always reach for one of the oldest and surest ways to focus: the list. Nothing inspires action faster than a sharp list. I often end my presentations with “5 Things to do Tomorrow”. After all the ideas and visuals and discussion, summing up with “5 Things” sends people out the door with a mission. Breaking what needs to be done into its component parts is the foundation of great execution. Eating an elephant seems impossible, until you see the list. Trunk, ears, back fillets (just kidding).
If you ever need practical proof of the power of lists, consider Jeffrey Skiles. He was the co-pilot on US Airways Flight 1549 that made a dramatic emergency landing on the Hudson River. I have posted about the extraordinary flying skills of Captain Chesley Sullenberger, but let’s also tip our hats to Skiles. He turned a moment of terror into a calm set of decisions by carefully working through his emergency water-landing checklist. Instead of seeing disaster, he saw a clear plan of what to do and the step-by-step order to do it in.
At Saatchi & Saatchi we use 100 Day Plans to keep us focused on the three or four big things we need to do. A list pares away the minutia so you can concentrate on what really matters. It’s not about argument or debate or alternatives, it’s about action. Now. Young people new to the work environment often get bogged down. There’s busy work out there stretching into the distance as far as the eye can see. They start by feeling responsible for all of it – until they give up and don’t feel responsible for any of it. This is not only a failure of management, it’s a failure of imagination. The imagination to know what will make a real difference.
So in the spirit of list-making, 5 Things to do Tomorrow:
Refer to your 100 Day Plan.
List what needs to be done next.
Start each item with a verb. You want a list of real, physical actions you will take.
Cross off at least half the items on your list. Decide what’s to go and what’s to stay based on importance, not urgency.
Get started.
-Kevin Roberts
http://krconnect.blogspot.com/2008/03/100-day-plans.html