How many times have you set out to do something good or helpful, but ended up in the doghouse? They say the path to hell is paved with good intentions. If only we could be a little more sure that our intentions were not harmful to others, especially those we care about, the world would be a nicer place. The illustration above that I drew today really sums up that concept.
I haven’t historically believed in new year resolutions, because I think that we should be mindful towards ourselves, our friends and family, our world, and everything in it every day. If we are living intentionally and mindfully, we don’t need a resolution on some arbitrary day, do we?
Well, maybe we do. January first is a symbolic day and perhaps making a pledge towards some personal goal is a great way to affect change in our lives and those around us. Maybe if we consider reaching for SMART goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound we can grow into the people we want to be…
One of my goals is to do a drawing a day this year. It’s okay if I don’t hit my goal every day, but I should try. The drawing can be a little doodle or a full on professional job. I’ll do my best to post the majority of my efforts on this blog or on instagram.
I’ll also pick a different goal every other month to focus on. I figure by focusing on a goal for two months, I can make it a habit and continue it moving forward. For January and February, my goal is to read at least one book every two weeks. So far, I’ve finished Gideon’s Sword and I’m about a quarter of the way into Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (that one is on audio, which is great when I’m running, but hard when I’m doing almost anything else). I have The Interestings on deck next (actual paper book). I love my public library and it’s a great way to queue up some books to read without breaking the bank (especially good when you are freelancing). An added bonus for belonging to the Brooklyn Public Library is FREE access to Lynda.com! That’s right!
The other topics I want to touch on later in the year are getting back into my daily meditative practice, running regularly, learning more about Photoshop and Illustrator, training the dogs, and being more open (more later on how to make that a SMART goal).
What are your goals this year? Are they SMART?
driftandburn 