In preparing to write goals for my first year of retirement, I’ve been reading and researching the topic of a healthy lifestyle.  Not that I’ve just started being interested in living a most fulfilling life, but now with my own time on my hands, I am fortunate enough to be able to do so!  I am aware that I am now the director of my own destiny so I’m taking careful time trying to figure it all out.   Having good health on my side and an optimistic outlook on life, I see no reason why not to remain as productive this year as when I retired from employment just two short months, ago.  So, to this end, here are some lists that I’ve found or that people have shared with me that I really liked that will help guide and direct toward this end:

Realizing Your Own Greatness:
The 4 Pillars of Successful Living:
Live a healthy lifestyle
Live a life free of debt
Live a life that is organized and goal oriented
Live a life of charity

7 Categories for Self-fulfillment:
Finances/Prosperity
Health & Wellbeing
Relationships/Connections
Volunteerism/Community
Work/Career
Leisure/Hobby
Location/Lifestyle

3 Things Needed in Retirement:
A sense of purpose
A structure to each day
A social connection to people

And finally, from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey,  he describes growing your own person in four dimensions of your nature:

• physical
• spiritual
• mental
• social/emotional

To me, these lists offer a similar theme.  These authors speak of balance; balance in life that includes self worth, thinking, continued learning, and caring for others.   So, now I can see more clearly the direction I want my life to take.  With the purpose of goal setting in place, see post on self-direction and now research on the direction I want my life to take, I am ready for action.

Here are my goals for this year.  Having posted them, I will be able to revisit from time to time, re-evaluate progress, and adjust if/when necessary.

SMART GOAL:
Specific / Measurable / Attainable / Relevant / Time Bound

Gee, you can’t take the educator out of me however I am not writing for school so some of the goals below will not have every facet of a SMART goal but I continue to aim for these characteristics.  Utilizing The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (list, above):

PHYSICAL

• running – minimum of running 10 miles per week
• minimum of 3 (5k) running races this upcoming season, looking to challenge my own times
• biking – enjoyment
• snowshoeing – a new endeavor with hubby, to begin, enjoyment
• ponder rowing for enjoyment, season is May – October
• ponder skiing for enjoyment, weather and time permitting

SPIRITUAL

• knitting – choose projects from stash only
• no purchase of new yarn through this year
• plan, make, finish, and wear ~ VK’s mantra
• attend churches for the purpose of familiarizing and ultimately joining to become part of its community

MENTAL

• write posts on Holly knits ~ for enjoyment
• find and choose at least 2 other venues for writing, i.e. My View in the local newspaper
• read blogs, articles, books
• ponder accepting invite into book club

SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL

• care take family members, as needed
• join the local knitting organization 9/10/15
• volunteer at least one task/job in that local knitting organization

These are one year goals with an over-arching theme of productivity.  Remaining flexible to see what life has to offer matched with the ability to say yes and no with conviction, I continue to aim for high expectations.  I remain steadfast in possibilities.  Maybe, a marathon?  Maybe, design work in knitting?  Maybe, writing a manuscript for publication?  These would be the long term goals that I see in this decade of self-creativity and self-direction while the above are short term goals that support.

On a final note, I share with you this post I thought particularly interesting along the lines of goal setting, focus, and productivity.  Ha, interesting this author and I are doing some of the same reading!  Check out the concept of boulders and pebbles written in this post Time Management – Are We Busy or Fruitful by Kristen Lamb*.

West Side Rowing Club Boathouse. Can you see why it’s on my mind?

View of the Peace Bridge connecting US to Canada looking out from the boathouse

*(Kristen Lamb is the #1best selling author of “Rise of the Machines–Human Authors in a Digital World”, “We Are Not Alone–The Writer’s Guide to Social Media” & “Are You There, Blog? It’s Me, Writer.” She is the CEO of W.A.N.A. International, a company dedicated to empowering artist of the Digital Age. She’s also the creator of W.A.N.A.Tribe, the social networking site for creative professionals and a contributing blogger for The Huffington Post.)