Posts Tagged ‘goal setting’

It’s beginning to look a lot like … the post-holiday slump. Ugh. You’ll probably do some partying to ring in the new year, maybe watch a few football bowl games. And then it will be time to clean up the mess, throw out the leftover fruitcake, and beat the bathroom scales to dust with your kid’s new baseball bat.

For six weeks, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s keep Americans on one extended high of sugar and hustle-bustle. Then it’s back to reality … a little poorer, a little fatter, and a lot less motivated than we were before. No more whistling “Frosty, the Snowman.” No more candles in the window as we pull into the drive. No more pretending candy canes are calorie-free.

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As my friends know well, I’m a passionate person. Fortunately, though, I have a wide practical streak that helps me hold my passions in check and keeps me from cutting off my nose to spite my face. That practicality is a gift from both parents, but it usually speaks to me in the voice of Star Trek’s Mr. Spock, quoting a favorite line from the film The Wrath of Khan: “You must learn to govern your passions; they will be your undoing.“

As a reporter for the Washington Post, Carl Bernstein occasionally let passion get the best of him, too. According to author Stephen Bates in his book If No News, Send Rumors, Bernstein dreamed of being the paper’s full-time rock critic. And executive editor Ben Bradlee promised him the job … before giving it to someone else.

Furious, Bernstein decided to quit the job he’d held since 1966. But his inner Spock must have had a word because he didn’t just storm out the door. Instead he quietly applied for Hunter S. Thompson’s recently vacated postion as political writer for Rolling Stone.

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While sipping our caffeinated beverages each morning, we’re also likely to be shaking our heads at news reports of public figures trying to recover from PR nightmares brought on by bad timing:

• With his re-election already in doubt, soon-to-be-ex British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is mortified to be caught open-mic’d ranting about being annoyed by Jane Q. Voter.

• The Virginia Department of Transportation announces 678 layoffs the same morning a huge snowstorm blankets the state’s roadways, overwhelming snow-plowing crews already short-staffed by previous layoffs.

• Reality star Kim Kardashian apologizes profusely for publicizing her new “pet” chimp—actually rented to punk her mom—just three days after another pet chimp makes worldwide headlines for viciously attacking a Connecticut woman.

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“The whole world is set on fire.”

That’s one of the more memorable quotes from the 1992 film version of The Last of the Mohicans. And since I’m indulging my inner drama queen, that’s how I’ve felt lately. As loyal readers may have noticed, a nasty little virus wandered in and briefly staked claim on behalf of some probably nonexistent terrorist group. Posts have fallen behind as I’ve focused on other site-related issues. Like many people, I’ve gotten caught up in putting out fires instead of blazing my path. As a result, the mountains have started to seem overwhelming.

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On a beautiful Saturday morning, I joined several friends who were setting up a traditional Easter egg hunt for children of varying ages. The hunt was at my friend Sarah’s home—a sprawling 20 acres where she and her husband Keith keep big dogs and even bigger horses.

Listening to Sarah admonish the littlest hunters before they set off to find their eggs, I realized her advice to them could also apply to my own recent searches for life’s goodies. Maybe you’ll find it useful as well:

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My sister-in-law once told me she likes her anger because it makes her more productive. I knew exactly what she meant. My biggest achievements in life have come after someone told me I’d never make it and I got hoppin’ mad. “Really? Watch me.“

Though my last name is Roberts, I don’t know of any relation to famed horse whisperer Monty Roberts. But when it comes to our reactions to naysayers, his mother and I are kindred spirits. In his autobiography, The Man Who Listens to Horses, Roberts shared the first time he voiced his life dreams.

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Make a mark.

It’s what we all want to do, in our own way, isn’t it? Whether it’s by achieving some sort of fame, becoming successful in business, saving lives, saving souls, serving our country, or raising the next generation, we want to leave some imprint of ourselves on the world.

But how? How do we make a difference?

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A lot of my friends are unhappy with their jobs, and statistics show that probably means they’re unhappy with their bosses or coworkers. So the mountains they’d like to move are the nuisances at work.

Guess that’s why many people tell me they’d give anything to trade places with me, be their own bosses, and—best of all—work out of their homes!

But the mood isn’t always merrier in the home office.

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“One singular sensation.” It’s the opening line of the song “One,” from the Broadway musical A Chorus Line. It’s also a good thing to keep in mind when crafting your New Year’s resolutions.

Yep, that’s right. One.

Sound underwhelming? Think about it. How many resolutions did you come up with last year? Five? Ten? Twenty? And how many did you keep? Uh-huh. Now you get the point.

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A few years ago, I lost my way while sightseeing in an unfamiliar city. Suddenly I was alone, on foot, in a deserted area with no map to guide me. Searching the skyline, I spotted the steeple of a famous church building and kept winding through the back streets toward it. As long as the destination was in my sights, I knew I’d get there eventually.

But what happens if you can’t visualize your goals? Usually, it’s failure—as American swimmer Florence Chadwick once learned the hard way.

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