Take Note

New Level of Awesome, Axiom #3. Write your goals down. I have no problem admitting that this particular axiom was stolen from a number of sources. Experts in self-help, motivation, visualization, the gospel, etc. I figure, if all of these extraordinarily smart and/or successful people agree, who am I to disagree?

Here's what we know: Writing down your goals helps for a lot of reasons. First, it helps you focus your goal, to zero in on what you're actually after. Second, it makes your goal even more real. And third, it helps you as you begin working on your goals to look back and see what's been accomplished, and what's left to be done.

I would like to add pheebee's twist to this axiom. I would recommend publishing your goals. Social networking has made public declarations a cinch. As you know, my Mission began as a series of snarky comments on Facebook. You can post yours wherever you like, however, I would recommend publishing them somewhere where feedback is possible. Sometimes, you will get help on reaching your goals. I'm willing to bet you will also get encouraging words from friends (and maybe strangers).

For the record, your newly recorded goals don't need to be lofty, life-changing, or groundbreaking. Sometimes, achieving a small goal is just as rewarding...and can lead to great habits. For example, maybe you have a messy house; and anytime you have company you end up spinning into a hurricane of panic in an effort to make it presentable for friends. Well, how about setting a goal of cleaning 3 different parts of the living room over 3 days? So, dusting one day, picking up another day, floors the third day, and etc. You've just set 3 goals to be completed over a weekend. Now, let's try setting a goal to maintain it. I would bet it's easier to maintain a clean room than to actually have to start from scratch anytime someone is dropping by. And look at that. You've just set and achieved a small goal and started a good habit.

So people, let's get started. Go ahead, grab a pen. I'll wait. ... Ready? Ok, what's your first goal?