Reflecting on Goals for 2020
I took a couple months to reassess my goals for 2020. After spending December creating a daily blog post, I felt dry. Ideas were simply not flowing. I needed to reboot my mojo.
Busy vs Productive
Part of January and most of February, I did some study and investigation into goal setting and time management. One thing I realized about my time since I retired was that my days completely lacked the kind of structure I had while working a regular day-job. I seemed to be busier than ever and wondered how I ever got anything done while I was working. Upon closer examination, I realized (and finally admitted to myself) that busy doesn't equal productive. Yes, my days were full, and I was always doing something. Nonetheless, I was not moving forward on any of the things I always said I would do when I retired. Something was missing.
Missing Elements
It occurred to me that one missing element was structure to my days. Instead of floating from one thing to the next and back again, I realized I had to arrange my days into some sort of structure so I could focus on moving my projects forward. Work always provided structure in the past. I was accustomed to fitting my personal goals into the margins of time around my day job. Now that I'm retired, my personal goals no longer need to live in the margins. Yet, I failed to let them take the main stage. I was letting "busy" take all the bows.
Another missing element was written goals. It was something I had done in the past but not something I gave much thought to in retirement. Written goals matter. They're just as important in retirement as they are at any other time in life. I still have unfulfilled dreams. This is my time to shoot for the stars!
Finally, I need a plan. A road map, if you will, to achievingmy goals and unfulfilled dreams.
Learning Again
I started by reading. Books on time management, books on habits, books on inspiration. You get the idea. Here are a few of my favorites so far:
- Time and Habits
- The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- The One Thing by Gary Keller with Jay Papasan
- Inspiration
- Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
- Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo
- Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
I also discovered Skillshare. Available on the web or as an app on your phone, you can learn virtually anything, from anywhere. Skillshare is a learning platform with online classes taught by the world's best practitioners. It provides personalized, on-demand learning. You can get 2 free months of Premium with this link. Check it out!
Note: I may receive a small referral fee from links in this blog post.
I'll share more of what I learned in the coming days. Until next time,