It is thrilling to realize that when you actually learn something, you put it to use. Recently, while doing some self-reflection, I wrote a list of things I learned while running my own business. It was an interesting list and included the following items:
• I dream and I dream big
• I TAN aka take action now and when I do I succeed
• I set goals I push to past them
• I want to see others succeed
I have never believed the expression, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Quite to the contrary, I believe you can learn something new every day if you try. Additionally, I believe that when you learn something, when you really learn something, you are able to put it into practice in your own life in some way in the future. As a result, I am not just satisfied with the list of things I learned. I want to go further and actually do something with the items, to put them to use in my real life. This will cement the knowledge in my brain so that I can truly count the lessons as learned and not go through the hard work of learning it again.
I dream and I dream big.
When I was a little girl and dreamed of what I would be like at thirty. I wanted to be married, a lawyer, a mother and own my own home. At age thirty I has achieved all those dreams and more. Time after time I have learned that I should dream big dreams because the little run of the mill dreams just don’t work for me. The church girl in me is always reminded that my Father is the King of Kings so nothing is impossible for me. Over the course of the past year, I was able to learn once again that I like to dream big dreams because dreams come true, all day every day.
I TAN aka take action now and when I do I succeed.
Every goal I have ever achieved came as a result of my making the decision to stop thinking and planning and starting to take action now. When I took action now, I was able to:
• Learn elementary HTML coding
• Move this blog from Blogger to WordPress
• Exceed page view goals for this blog
• Secure regular income from blog and related services
• Create fresh content an average of 6 days per week
• Help create a thriving community for women writers
The decision to take action now is what makes possible the impossible. Indeed it is the secret to my success. As a result, the lesson I was able to learn that I must act. I must stop talking, planning and thinking and start acting.
I set goals and I push past them.
At the beginning of the year, I made a few big but in a dream world, realistic and SMART goals to accomplish in my business by the end of the year. I was blessed and able to achieve those goals well before the end of the year. I remember the day I realized my goals were met. I cried tears of joy and felt quite fortunate and blessed. Then, I thought that I should set bigger goals for the next year. This year I am setting goals again. The difference is that I am setting two sets of goals. One set is a realistic set of goals. These are goals that I can achieve if I work hard and work smart throughout the year. The second set goals is a dream set of goals. These are goals that if I dreamed a big dream I would achieve. I am starting the new year and going for the big dream goal list.
[Tweet “If you learn it, prove it, use it!”]
I like to see others succeed.
I co-founded a blog and Facebook group called Pushing Lovely. It is a group designed to help women writers achieve their goals. Over the course of the past year I have seen these women become brand ambassadors, Disney Media moms, television spot regulars, blog once per month, start blogs, get married and many other things. As part of the group, we push, sometimes the pushes are figurative and sometimes they are literal. The key thing is that we push each other to reach our own individual goals. These woman are succeeding like crazy! It is a thrill for me to read about their successes. I get such a thrill when I am able to offer help, advice or a resource that will help someone in the group reach her goals. This year, I am going to be more resourceful, more helpful and more of a mentor in the group. I am going to do more to help other women succeed.
I am taking what I learned over the course of the last year and putting it into action. I will be using these lessons in my life to make life better, happier and more fulfilling over the course of the next year. In conclusion, it is thrilling to realize that when you actually learn something, you put it to use. So, the question for you this thrilling day is, what have you learned and how are you going to use it?
It is exciting to use what you learn. I agree, you can teach any one new tricks, even old dogs. 😉
Congratulations to you on making the move from student to working woman. Please stop by and let us know how things are going for you.
I hope you have success in goal setting and goal attainment in the new year.
Good for you changing your attitude about goall setting. When you set SMART (Specific Measurable Attainable Realitic and Time Bound) goals upi are ,pre ;ole;u tp sicceeed amd to feel better about yourself.
I really like your attitude of claiming the success you know is coming.
Yes, talk, talk and talk is worthless. It is by putting action to things that stuff really gets interesting.
Yes, TAN it has become one of my favorite acronyms of all time.
You have said what i think is the key, learn something new and use it!
Yes, set the goal, reach the goal and set a new goal!
Cheers to you for a productive and happy 2014 also!
Yes, when you start your new blog, come on over to the Pushing Lovely group and join us!
it’s just a dream until you take action. then it’s a goal 🙂
Great tips. I always try to use what I learn
It is exciting to look back at accomplishments. While you are working, it all seems hard and there is no celebrating. It is when you look back that you can see all the accomplishments that came from the work.
That’s awesome, Janeane! It’s great that you’ve learned that you are able to do much more than you ever dreamed. The HTML and knowledge of building an online community is not an easy thing to master, either. Thanks for sharing your positivity!
I heard something the other day: It takes just as much energy to dream small and it does to dream big.
WTG! 🙂 As long as we are consistent and persistent at our goals we surely can achieve it. I still don’t know how to transfer blogger blogs to wordpress though 🙁
This is very nice tips, you are right, you should also share your learnings with others so they could see if you’ve really learned.
I am sitting here trying to think of realistic goals for next year. I set mine too low last year apparently because I accomplished them and went a lot farther than I had planned to go. Not that I am complaining just want more of a challenge.
This is really inspiring. I dream of becoming someone but haven’t got the guts. So I am frustrated. I hope I can overcome my frustrations.
As someone making the transition from student to working woman very soon this is a topic that I have given a lot of thought to. Your article added further fuel to that fire. Thanks!
I have learned how to be more patien and how to take some time off. I’m not good at setting goals either but hope to get better at it in 2014.
I’m bad at setting goals. I usually set really vague goals that are hard to succeed at as they’re not really there to begin with. However, this coming year I’m planning on setting specific goals that I can follow and achieve.
These are all terrific goals I have begun to work on and will continue master.
I am with you. My fav motto is from the Nike commercials, and I tell everyone, “Just Do It!” Don’t talk about it, take action!
I was just thinking today about setting some realist goals for 2014. Definitely gonna be TAN-ing with my goals, both personal and business! Thanks!
I have learned a lot of ways to improve this past year. My goal is to continue to learn new things and continue to use them.
I agree with you. I set new goals all the time and love learning!
I agree! I love learning new things every day! That’s what makes life so much fun!
You have some awesome goals for 2014! My goals are mostly blogging related too! Cheers to being productive in 2014!
Wow! I needed to hear that this morning! I’m planning on starting a new blog this year. I’ll be heading over to your Facebook group and blog! Thanks for posting!
With the beginning of the New Year right around the corner I am going to sit down and write out my business goals for the year. Thanks for the tips on being specific, realizing some personal characteristics, and learning how to really find the success you are looking for. This post is great timing for me!