Category: Goals

I believe in setting goals.  To achieve balance, I set goals in sevan buckets: Intellectual, Physical, Creative, Spiritual, Community, Financial and Travel.  Within each bucket, I set SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, results-based and time-limited.  Every year, I make myself accountable to someone for whom I have a great deal of respect.  I also post my goals online.

Because a goal without a plan is just a wish.

And wishing is not my style.

On Saturday, my coach and I reviewed progress against this year´s goals.  Because I will be in Europe for the next three months, we decided that my goals over the next 90 days should be modified to take advantage of the opportunity living in Paris will present.

Here are my goals for Paris.

Intellectual

• Keep up the Momentum in Spanish
  • Speak: participate in three meetup conversation groups a week
  • Read: Finish 6 novels in Spanish
  • Listen: finish one audio book, watch two movies a week in Spanish
  • Write: One page a week on any topic
  • Study: Study with a tutor twice a week (already booked), complete advanced Spanish Grammer, Irregular and Prepositions workbooks.
• French
  • Speak: participate in two meetup French conversation groups per week, take advantage of other immersion opportunities.
  • Read: Finish 6 books in French
  • Study: complete French verb review and advanced grammar workbooks.

Physical Fitness

• Walk
  • One hour a day
• Workout
  • Join a gym (already located) work out twice a week
• Dance
  • Join an ecstatic dance group, go at least once a week
  • Take two dance classes (dance center already identified

Creative

• Shoot
  • Take my camera with me every day
  • Shoot at least 25 images every day
  • Shoot at least 10 images a week on manual
  • Work up at least 25 images per week and post
  • Complete book on Nikon camera
  • Complete book on creative camera techniques
  • Join a camera club in Paris (already located)
• Write
  • Have a writer´s notebook with me at all times
  • Take notes about what I am seeing every day
  • Focus on building notes on Paris for later use.
  • Write two blog articles a week
• Draw
  • Take sketch pad with me wherever I go
  • Draw at a museum at least once a week
  • Complete two drawings a week
  • Join a drawing group
• Cook
  • Take three classes at Cordon Blue in French pastry, one class elsewhere on classic french sauces.  (Already paid for)
• Visit
  • Museums the first Sunday of every month, when they are free

Spirit

• Meditate: at least twice a week, once with a group, explore opportunities to take a class at a Buddhist sangha.

Travel

• Explore a new location in Paris every day
• Look for another house sit
• Decide where to go in September (Shortlist: Housesit or go someone

Community

• Visit friends who live in Paris
• Meet new people, look for opportunities to house swap and house sit