Setting goals like a swashbuckling sailor!

I love January. Everything is crisp and clean. There’s a touch of hope in the air and anything feels possible.

January is a renewal month for you and me. A renewal of a new you in the new year. It doesn’t matter if you set your goals on a sticky note or spreadsheet. January is a time when you can dream as big as you want to and have a whole year to make that dream come true.

You’re a swaggering, dashing, daring daredevil. Full of heroism and, dare I say, romance.

You’re the captain of your own sailboat. You’re in the middle of the ocean. You stand at the helm. The boat rocks beneath your feet, and no matter which direction you turn, you are surrounded by water.

On the horizon, everything you want is waiting for you.

Until you decide your course, you will continue to rock in the waves and drift with the current. Your direction or course are your new year goals. Only after you set your goals/direction will you be able to set off on your journey.

Just like there are seven seas to travel, there are seven goals to set. Faith, Family, Self, Financial, Social, Career, and Creativity.

For example, Faith could include filling your spiritual well with daily “Touchstone Time” with God, prayers and inspirational books, attending church and/or small groups, and giving back or blessing others.

Family isn’t limited to your spouse and children. How is your relationship with your parents, your siblings, and your in-laws? Keeping a connection takes purposeful scheduling. A simple call, texting a picture, or an in-person visit puts a positive emotional deposit into a loved one’s heart. The more positive deposits you make, the closer you will hopefully become.

Going deep with Self could include physical and mental health goals, getting enough sleep, and learning new things. I call these goals my “All about me” goals. If I’m not taking care of myself, how long will I be able to continue to care for my family? If I’m not growing spiritually or intellectually, then my family isn’t either.

Social could be everything from making new friends to connecting with old friends, mentoring others, and expanding your work contacts to having weekly tea time with friends.

Financial goals include setting a budget, saving for the future, a kid’s college, or a summer vacation. Check out Dave Ramsey at www.ramseysolutions.com. He is the master of money management.

Career. What do you want out of your career? Do you love what you are doing? If not, what do you love to do, and how can you make money at it? Do you need to reinvent your career path? Do you need to sharpen your skills to move up? Is your current job a stepping stone to a better job? How can you positively influence your work environment?

Creativity. We are born of the Creator and have an instinctive need to create or be creative. Some people fulfill this need by cooking or painting or inventing or gardening or writing. Your creative skill could be what gives you peace, an outlet to express yourself, a way to give back, or your future, forever career.

Now that you’ve sketched out your treasure map. Every ship has a flag, a way to communicate with other sailors. Your flag is your attitude towards life.  You run up your flag to the top of the crow’s nest. Sometimes, our flags are a little tattered or torn. Sometimes, our flags wave in full glory. Sometimes, our flags say that we’re down and keep clear or we’re at risk of going aground.

Ask yourself what your flag says about you. Does your flag say that you’re a goal-getter or a sitter? Does it say that you bring a positive attitude to everything you do? Check your flag. You can always bring it down, take a think, sip some tea, and raise it again.

Since the beginning of time, sailors have used the North Star to navigate. My North Star is God. He is who I look to for guidance and inspiration, to heal my wounds and find peace. I hope He is your North Star, too.

Every sailor has a compass. For goals, your compass is affected by the magnetic fields of your emotions. Positive emotions and negative emotions. You want to head due south to your goal of, fill in the blank, but you are angry or sad or mad. The energy sucked out of your efforts by negative emotions throws you off course or shifts your course into the direction of Davy Jones’s locker.

If you’re excited and energized about a goal, that energy creates a positive magnetic field that leads you toward your goal. Plus, the positive energy that you send forth touches other people and energizes other people’s positive energy, and their energy adds to your energy, creating a magnetic field of positive power. Magic happens. Connections are made and goals are achieved. Check your compass often.

What’s in your sailboat? Do you have past failures taking up precious space? Have you stocked up with the negative phrases others have said instead of tossing their words into the sea?

Stock your cargo hold with good food, great friends and powerful positive thinking. Anything and everything you need to make your voyage a success.

The sea is filled with Nay Sayers. Creatures that circle your boat waiting for you to fail. Or they cling to your hull, hoping to drag you down to the ocean floor. Or they appear like mermaids, beautiful and seductive, singing sweet melodies in your ear of other dreams and distractions to pull you off course.

As Captain of your ship, you must remain steady with your purpose, solid in your intent, and courageous with your actions.

You plot your course, raise your flag, check your compass, and hoist your sails. But wait. Nothing happens. Your sails fall flat. You wait some more.

Your goals are on the horizon. Still, nothing happens. Your sailboat doesn’t move.

The wind your sailboat needs to move is generated by your actions. Your journey and success are powered by you.

When you decide to take action and continue to act, you will sail across the seven seas and your seven goals. You might hit rough seas, but keep looking to your North Star and keep your compass handy and your flag flying high.

Fair winds and following seas,

– Dee

DEE ARMSTRONG

Romance & Suspense Author

Leaving a fingerprint on your heart

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