Goals and Grattitude

I'm on a roll! Second blog post of the day! I believe that two of the most important aspects of goal setting are to make them public and to be grateful for what you already have. To that end I thought I'd share both with you.

Firstly, my goals for 2010. I'm counting on my blogging community to hold me accountable for these! Please feel free to post comments and challenge me / question me. :)

In no particular order:

- To accumulate $1 million in net assets by 31/12/2012. A bit of background on this one...When I was married I was able to build our net worth to just at $1 million within 3 years through property investment. To me this was nothing short of ASTOUNDING!!! For two reasons: I came into the marriage 4 years earlier in debt and, more importantly, my family history and psychology was such that I wasn't deserving of wealth. Although we were far from poor growing up, we were far from rich. Lower middle class more like it...but we had the mind set of being poor. So much so that when I was 14 I went to my best friend's house for dinner one time and her mother cooked steaks for us because she didn't think my family could afford a lot of meat. So I had a lot of negative psychology to overcome!

When I divorced my husband we split our assets 50/50 so my net worth halved. Added to that spending most of 2008 traveling and starting a new business in 2009 and enrolling in every course under the sun to learn how to be a kick ass coach and trainer has depleted my resources even more. So, although I'm not starting from scratch, I am starting from a significantly less advantageous position than I was in 2 years ago. But I did it once before and I can do it again. And it should be even quicker this time (so the three year time frame is a bit of a cushion).

- To seed that nest egg I have an amount of income (a REAL stretch goal) that I will attain this year.

- I've broken this yearly amount down into quarterly and monthly goals. To make this month's goal I need to add 3 new clients and to fill a group mentoring session. I've added one new client already and am formulating the session I want to kick off with. I'm going to be mentoring mid - senior executive women who are in the process of planning the second half of their lives. Women that, like many of us, are dealing with career, health and relationship issues. Women who might be asking, "Is this it?" or "What's next". I'm very excited about this as I see an important theme developing around me...women truly coming into their own and taking more power, making more decisions. But how to do this and stay true to your feminine? Ahhh, there's the juice!

- 135 lbs / 61 kg's by 28/2/10

- Eat in a way that I know will sustain optimum health and fitness 80% of the time (I plan to live to be 104 or more...and I'd like to do this with optimum health).

- Drop back by myself by 31/3/10

- Be able to jump back from Bakasana position by 30/6/10

- Do 2 "Date with Destiny" (Tony Robbins) events as a Senior Leader and assist with Steve Linder's Strategist and Master Strategist courses here in Sydney.

- Volunteer for 2 - 3 hours / week.

- Develop a wider circle of friends whom I form close relationships with. To that end I plan to host "incredible persons" nights where I invite several "incredible people" from all areas of my life to my house for a dinner party. I will do these every 6 weeks. I will also host game nights at my house just for fun at least once / quarter.

Now for the gratitude:

This is soooo easy. I have so much to be grateful for. 2009 was an astounding year in so many ways. How lucky am I to live in Sydney, Australia? It's a beautiful city with mostly great weather and largely free from the fear mongering, sound byte listening, deeply polarised culture that has become the United States. And I'm just a stone's throw from my spiritual home, New Zealand. Ahhhhh, one of my rewards for meeting my goals this year is a trip back.

I'm also grateful that I've been lucky enough to be able to combine my job (how I earn money) with my career (something that has a path and that I learn and grow with and from) with my vocation (my passion, my purpose, what I was made for). I was made to help people and discovering / developing my career as a coach and trainer has been fulfilling beyond description. I'd truly do this job for free (and do do a lot of pro bono stuff). The job, career, vocation concept is one that was shared with me and a small group of people at Wealth Mastery by Keith Cunningham. He believes that people are lucky to have 2 / 3 be aligned and that it is the truly blessed individual who has all three aligned. I believe I'm truly blessed.

I'm so grateful for my clients. It's such a privilege to be let into people's worlds every day. To find out amazing things about them, their dreams, goals and aspirations and to do what I can to help them achieve those things. I am truly awed after every session.

I'm grateful every day on my yoga mat. I've said it before and I'll say it again, my Ashtanga practice truly is a miracle.

I'm grateful to be as healthy and fit as I am. I look and feel better at 48 1/2 than I ever have in my life.

I'm grateful for what this year has taught me about dating and men and the confidence it's given me in those areas.

Funnily enough, I got my divorce decree just started thinking about how grateful I am for my marriage and my ex-husband. Brad is a great guy and a good friend and I learned so much about myself having been married to him. I think we both helped each other grow in ways that would not have been possible had we not been married.

I'm incredibly grateful for the teachers in my life. Starting with my Dad. He's gone now, but I feel his influence every day. I wouldn't be who I am without him. My mentors who fundamentally shifted my thinking about who I am and my place in the world, Mr Graewin (sp?) my 9th grade science teacher, Dennis Morgan, my first General Manager at the Hermitage Hotel when I worked there in the early '80's and Peggy Page, my first Area Manager at Robert Half. And my most recent teachers who are teaching me things about myself and others and giving me incredible tools to work with others and change lives, Tony Robbins, Steve Linder, Cloe Madanes and Keith Cunningham. This year has been and incredible year of learning for me.

I'm grateful for the awesome peer groups that I'm involved with: the Robbins, SRI and Thought Leaders Communities. As Steve and Tony say, "Show me the quality of people you spend your time with and I'll show you the quality of your life." My life is pretty damn awesome!

I'm grateful for my apartment. The wonderful Woollahra refuge that's in the coolest neighborhood in Sydney, free from noise of the city and a beautiful space.

I'm grateful for my Aunt and Uncle and the unconditional love they've shown me through hard times.

And last but not least, I'm grateful for my fiends old and new. The ones in my life that continue to challenge and inspire me. Those who are there for me and have adopted me as family.

So, as you define and refine your goals for 2010 remember to stop and think about what you're grateful for. Gratitude begets more things to be grateful for!