Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Goals’

Cutting a Solid Path for the Future

Posted in General Reflections, In The Soap Shop, Inspirations, tagged , , , on January 18, 2010| 2 Comments »

Honey Oatmeal and Rosemary Mint Goat Milk Soap

Today, as I cut two batches of fresh soap, I thought about my shop, the past year, and how I plan to grow (in both a personal and business sense) in 2010.

Like loaves of soap, formed from an idea, cut into bars, ready to be placed on the curing rack until ready for use, my mind is carving out my future endeavors, deciding how to solidify my dreams. 

Have you put together solid plans for 2010? Or, like me, have you made sure most plans are in order, ready for accomplishment (written and measurable), with a few ideas still dangling? Perhaps you know what you want to do, but you are not sure when or how it is going to happen.

I treasure the idea of making things happen. 

I see good things evolving.  Many are reaching out to better themselves.  Many are taking classes, planning businesses, re-thinking budgets, arriving at a calmer place in life.  Some of these self-improvements were forced on by the economy, but evolved into wonderful opportunities for the future. 

How many times have you said, “I’ve always wanted to do that!” Think about it…what have you always wanted to do? What is holding you back?

I am going to do what I have dreamed of doing.  And the only way to do it is to take the first steps, then keep moving.

How about you?

May the dreams of your past be the reality of your future.  Author Unknown

Read Full Post »

When 24 Hours Is Not Enough

Posted in General Reflections, Inspirations, tagged , , , on November 2, 2009| 23 Comments »

Indecision

Do you ever feel as if there is not enough time in a day to get everything done that you want to do?

I’ll reword the question just slightly. 

Are there times when you feel that you cannot accomplish what you need to do?

I am there at times.  As hard as I try, I am there more frequently than I would like (or like to admit).

What about you? What do you do when the list is longer than a day, or perhaps longer than several days?

Do you make a list and prioritize?

Do you pray?

Do you walk away, take a break?

Do you say humorous things like, “Stick a fork in me, I’m done!”

What do I do? I make a list.  If I end up making a list that is fairly daunting in size, I hi-lite 3 items on that list.  If I accomplish those 3 crucial items that day, I accomplished what I set out to do.  It was obatainable, and it felt good. 

But it isn’t always that perfect or simple, is it?

What do you think? Before I say more…I am curious about your initial thoughts.  Who knows, you may change the discussion path completely!

Read Full Post »

Just Like The Rose, Blossom!

Posted in Inspirations, tagged , , , on June 24, 2009| 4 Comments »

Do you remember what happens when I feel compelled, overwhelmed with thoughts that I feel I need to share?
The thoughts go to the blog.
If there is one piece of advice that I cannot give enough of, it is: Take care of yourself. If you do not do it, do not expect anyone else to do it for you.
Does that sound rather harsh?
No.
I am not just referring to physically taking care of yourself, even though mental can greatly affect your physical health, and in turn your physical well-being can put a huge stress on your mental health. What I was specifically referring to was, nurture yourself.
Allow yourself to blossom.
This particular idea (not a new one) has been on my mind a lot recently. And today when I saw the beautiful rose blossom opening with it’s own brilliancy I saw the connection before my eyes.
Before the rose bud opened it looked normal. As it began to open I saw a bit of what appeared to be rust around the edges. Just like a person that is rusty at remembering to take care of themselves. The person that forgets, or does not realize, that the world is at their fingertips. And then the blossom opened with wonderful colors, and the more it opened, the more anticipation came with it for the future.
If you have a passion, act on it. If you have a talent, allow it to grow. If you love something, make sure it is in your life. Sometimes the smallest of things are the biggest of things in our own hearts.
I am going to go through a list of people that I have noticed blossoming (leaving names out, sorry peeps):
A lovely lady lost her home, but now has a nice apartment and a new car. She is secure in her job, yet she is not happy. Someone listened to her one day, she talked about “everything that she had lost.” So the listener bought her a hummingbird feeder for her patio. Within a few hours she saw her first hummingbird. She cried. She realized that she had not lost everything, she just needed to remember what she loves, and she needed to remember that what she loves does not go away, it stays in her heart (the tiniest of things). And today she continues to grow, realizing the small things in life. And she is pursuing so much. She is no longer shut in to the pain, the world has many possibilities.
A wonderful friend is going through a tough time. She is taking better care of herself because it makes her feel good. She has had her hair re-done, her apartment painted (in the colors that makes her feel happy), and she is pursuing her dreams as a soap artist. Yes, a talented artisan! Through all of her troubles, she can still make her own heart sing.
A great friend has lost a lot of weight. She did not feel all that well before she lost the weight. She could have laid on the couch, moped, cried, allowed depression to take over, but no, she began daily and deliberate exercise. Today she revels in her new size, her new (younger) looks, but best of all, she feels fantastic, and she is vibrant and glowing. Not gloating. She took care of herself. Nobody else could have done it for her. She should be proud!
A dear friend has decided to build on her special talents. She decided to take her beautiful wares and sell them, offer them to others, open a shop where she takes the products that she has lovingly crafted to the public, and somewhere in her heart she has the urge to share that sense of joy with everyone that crosses her path. It took courage, but she has done it…for herself!
Do not forget what you love, despite the busyness and disappointments in life, do not forget who you are. You are special, and you have your own needs. Fulfill those needs.
Blossom!

Read Full Post »

Mid-January Goal Review

Posted in General Reflections, tagged on January 17, 2009| 7 Comments »

The hands of time moves quickly! January the 17th, wow!
Today is a cold, damp day, so I am sitting in the office, with the heater turned up to its maximum, using the one body part that does not normally get cold, my brain. It is not frozen yet. 🙂
I started bringing the thoughts of goals back to the surface. I am serious about the goals that I set this year. I have to be! I am very aware that the only way to be successful is to do it. Nobody will be doing it for me. If I want to do the things that I want to do, reach the goals that I have set, be the person I want to be, then only I can make that happen. I verbally tell all of my friends these same things on any occasion, because I care!
With this in mind, this morning I decided to check the list of goals that I so carefully put on paper several weeks ago.
Oh boy…if I were to give myself a score on progress with the personal list, I would have to give myself a big fat F. Failure! But, wait, I know it is not failure. Failure would fall under the definition of, “I did not make it, and I never tried again.” So, as an act of redemption, and because I will succeed, I am going to break the list down into smaller, more obtainable goals. And I will not look back! I give myself until Monday night to re-write the list…again, measurable, and obtainable.

Then I moved on to reviewing the business goals. Much better! I am
right on target, and many of the goals are ahead of target. Yesssss! Gold star…but I also see where I will improve on the remaining goals, making them successful, by breaking them down into smaller steps.

I know this can be boring stuff, but it keeps me encouraged. And with the financial issues across the globe this year, I truly feel our best defence is to chin up, suck it up, and do whatever we can do to improve on ourselves! I hope you are encouraged too!

Read Full Post »

Website And Goal Work

Posted in AGH Business News, tagged , , on January 6, 2009| 6 Comments »

It is Tuesday, day #2 of working in the office. This involves coffee, lots of water, soda, and a clear head! Need I say more? Actually, the honest truth is that I am enjoying this time. It has been a blessing to be able to begin sprucing up for 2009!

Today I worked on the website. My personal and business goals for 2009 are numerous. All of the goals have set deadlines, and all are on paper, meaning, they will get done. Goals with ASAP deadlines are getting my attention this week. One goal was to write a statement/promise for my friends and customers. Today I placed the statement on my website’s index page. With this statement, you cannot get much closer to my heart, my business goals, my desires, and what I want to accomplish in life. Yes, I want to sell soap, but I am also just as equally dedicated to helping others, whether that be through learning, listening, teaching, helping with animals, whatever I can do, I intend to do my best. If I do not have an answer, then I hope to help find one.

I am also planning an “ugly” soap sale. If you have any thoughts or requests for this sale, drop me a comment or email. The sale will include soap that I do not want to sell as full-sized bars (minimal 4 ounces). The soap will be of good quality, and with each type of soap sold, I will include a short description as to why it is being sold at a discount. All of my soaps are tested by myself, friends, and family.

I am working on a website testimonials page. Thank you for the great comments received! The soap is not being made for me, it is being made for people that I care about! The testimonials page is a tribute to you.

I am working on a series of bath and body product ingredient articles. My next ingredient article will be palm oil. I love to use palm oil in my soaps. I will admit that one of my goals, and not in the far future, is to determine where to buy palm oil that is gathered from palm trees that are harvested in a manner that does not deplete the great rain forests, therefore, does not put any part of the environment at risk. If you have any links that I can study to prepare for the palm oil article, I truly appreciate your input!

Thank you for your comments, links, laughs, ideas, and friendship. I think we are living in wonderful times!

Read Full Post »

Goal Setting

Posted in General Reflections, tagged , , on December 31, 2008| 12 Comments »

Today, appropriate to New Year’s Eve day, I have been thinking about goal setting.

My first thoughts were jumbled. What is goal setting? What is important when setting goals?

One of the most important aspects of goal setting is to make sure you set any goal at an obtainable level. You know what hurdles you can jump, you know what you can achieve, and you know your own personal wants and needs. Your goals are just that, yours!

When setting goals, start with the largest of thoughts. Where do you want to be in life a year from now? Then begin breaking the big picture down into small pieces. The small pieces are what drives your daily life, what is important to you (family, friends, business, health). Prioritize the smaller pieces, and base your goals on what importance each places in your life, and what you can actually obtain. Be realistic.

When goal setting, it is best to use pen and paper. This allows you to see your progress throughout the year, and helps to keep yourself focused. One of the biggest obstacles in reaching goals is looking backwards. It is not a bad thing to have wisdom, to learn from mistakes, but never look back and allow the past to control your future. Set your eyes on the goal, and move towards it. Friends and family, with the greatest of loving intentions, can stray you from your goal setting path. Your determination will mean that you stay sure-footed, knowing what is good for you, and ensuring the end results that you are seeking are going to be met.

Again, make your goals something that you know you can obtain. Do not set goals that are not within your own grasp, meaning, if you know that there are outside influences (financial, physical, locality), reasons that make your goal impossible, then do not put yourself at risk of feeling failure. Start with goals that you know you can achieve, those that help you to move forward towards the “big” goals that you can eventually reach.

Have fun with your life, make sure you use your abilities. You are in charge of you! If something truly interests you, or if you have a talent, a niche, a creativity, reach for it! The more you allow your mind to open, the more open it becomes, and then you can begin to see end results that you, yourself, are truly happy with.

Happy New Year!

Read Full Post »