Goals, lists, and not sacrificing

I am so glad that a couple months ago I took the time to hash out some goals of mine. To write them down.  (I re-posted that blog here.)  I have no idea where I got the chutzpah to do it, but I’m happy I did.  Thinking about the future and trying to nail down what I want from it besides the vaguely overused “to be happy,” well, it scares, stresses, worries, and all the above’s me.

Proof?  I’ve had this goal worksheet that I got from a friend back in October.  I think it’s great and I look at it often but when I get to question number two I freak out.  “In 30 seconds or less, write down the three most important goals in your life right now.”  Wait, what?  My eyeballs start moving around in my head as if I could completely inverse them and see what’s going on in my brain.  Lo siento, amiga.  Turns out you can’t actually see what you want, you have to visualize it.  Then I ask myself, “Isn’t that the same thing?” shake my head, and tuck the worksheet safely back into the depths of my notebook where it can’t hurt me.  Or at least not until the next time I am looking for a cheap thrill and want to whip it out again.

Anyway, I am looking back at this list of goals and my favorite ones, of course, are the short term and single step ones.  I.e. take a photography class, go to a Sox/Yankee game.  Those are so easy because they only really require effort from yours truly, and that I can control.  I don’t have to rely on anyone else or any circumstances, really, just sign up or just buy a ticket and then, simply show up.

One of my high school Phys. Ed teachers had a sign on his office door that resonated more with me than any other quote I have seen.  It read, “We often sacrifice what we want the most for what we want now.”  I always think about that quote and how unbelievably true it is and how hard it is to reverse that.  I mean, as a human race we are apt to seek immediate happiness and rarely stick something out for the long haul, in order to get what we truly want.  We need to look no further than the national divorce rate to realize that.  I’m beginning to think that maybe we just don’t know or have lost sight of “what we want most.”

I’m a very visual person and have found that if I want something, whether it’s a pair of shoes or a trip to Australia, I should write it down.  Most of the time I’ll remember but writing it down makes it more concrete to me.  Then again, looking at the big picture can be daunting, too.  So starting small is best.

For instance, I would absolutely love to work for ESPN one day, to have a job in broadcast journalism.  But, oddly enough, I didn’t put that on my list of goals because it seemed a bit too lofty at the time.  I did, however, make the goal to commentate a basketball game.  And I had the opportunity to make that one come true over Christmas break.  Twice.  I commentated two of my old high school’s basketball games on the local T.V station.  While it would be awesome to be able to work for ESPN just by wishing it and even writing it down, that’s definitely not practical.  What was practical, for me, was to ask an old friend from high school for a favor and reach one small goal at a time.

I really shouldn’t be afraid of goals, I write them down almost every day; they’re called “To-do Lists.”  These are small things that can usually be done in a day or two but maybe if used correctly could also lead to long term successes.

Take this hypothetical To-do List:

Buy bananas and oranges

Free write

Do the daily 30 pushups

Search flights to Hawaii

Go for a run

 

Now imagine that same list in the form of a one year goal list:

Eat more fruit

Get published

Get definition in my arms

Go to Hawaii

Lose weight

 

Now you tell me, which list seems more doable?

Trick question, maybe.  Both are doable, but you need a lot more list #1’s to achieve list #2.  That way you are getting what you want done now, without sacrificing what you want for the future.  Don’t you think?

Danielle Clark

About Danielle Clark

I am 28 years old and for 5 years out of college I played basketball for a living. I was a professional basketball player in Europe so I spent most of my years there and came back to Maine for summers and a couple weeks at Christmas time. I thought my years there would open my eyes to what I want to be when I "grow up." That didn't happen. I have discovered, however, that I just have to try something. Just do things and toss myself into them. I have currently tossed myself into being a college basketball assistant coach and one on one reading tutor. I grew up in Corinna, Maine and have been a resident Mainer. I love sports, reading, writing, cooking, baking, watching movies... everything. I have lots of hobbies and not enough time in the day!