"New" Year Exercise -Part II

Hi y'all!
Back to our New Year Exercise, but first, let me thank you for following me on this, and liking my suggestions. I was worried the post might be a little too long, (or too personal). But it seems it has reached out some of you, and that feels great. Even the lovely Amy pointed out this exercise is a victory all by itself. I love my great blogfriends ;)

Now, back to business.

Establish your priorities.

By this point, you should have two lists: the goal list, and the wish list. Coming up with both lists and even rewriting some goals or wishes on the way is very insightful. You probably realized some of your so called life goals, are no longer important to you, or the opposite, perhaps you hadn't noticed you were beginning to grow interest in new things and now they've become a big part of your life.

Well, now think about what's more and less important to you. You may know this by now, but if you're like me, and have a huge list of both goals and wishes, it's time to focus. Make it a little more realistic, and thus, doable. Where do you want to start? Which are the first steps? What's your starting point? Remember, some goals are long term goals, there's no need to hurry. Focusing on a few objectives makes it so much easier for you (and less stressful). Which goals would you like to achieve this 2010?

Of course I cannot and will not be able to have my dream home in a year (actually, this is a constantly evolving thing which you're never ever "done" with). I won't be able to work on ALL rooms as much as I would love to at once. But that's ok. I don't have to do all at once.

My priorities this year are:

Powder room
Laundry room

Daughter's room

Office

Garden

Another huge priority is organizing. Both time and spaces.

Downsize your goals into smaller objectives.

You know what you want. You know where you want to go. Now make it easier, and think about what it takes for you to achieve each goal. A series of steps, perhaps. Some important ideas, maybe. The point of this step is not to stress you out with a huge To Do list. Think about a list of suggestions or ideas that will help you on your way.

For example, regarding my garden, these are some smaller objectives I have in mind:

Plant a tree (or two).

Have a herbal garden.

Bring more plants and pots.

The great thing about setting your goals, organizing them (short, mid, and long term), and prioritizing is you get a clear idea of where you want to go. This is excellent because once you know your destiny it's easier to know your way.

And of course, you can try this exercise with every aspect of your life. It's very helpful, believe me. Try sharing with your husband, or doing the whole exercise together, and it can do wonders ;)

Hopefully you'll find this exercise as good as I do. In my case, I've been doing some thinking and, as far as decor and blogging goes, it's been very insightful as well as destressful. I know what I want, and I know how I want it. Little steps towards my goals. Can't wait to share some more thoughts with you and begin working!


(All images by martha stewart)