Resolution: I'm gonna SHINE in 2009

Writing and Squidoo:

I want to continue to build an income writing both on Squidoo and Marketing. I also want to improve and grow my Thrifty Home Blog.

I want to challenge myself to learning more about successful Article Marketing

I want to commit to making at least one lens a week that is on something I really love!

I want to be an Angel Squid some time in 2009.

One big goal is to work less for other people writing and more for myself (and make more money at it!)

I want to pursue adding blogs and sites about my favorite things. Two of which are being a Grandma and saving money!

Personal

I'm normally a happy person, but like everyone, I have my days! I want to put to use the practices that are listed in our own Joan4's "Banish the Blahs!" (No kidding, it reallly is a cool ebook!)

I want to spend more quality time with my Grandchildren

Becoming more organized is a priority for 2009 too. I love lists, I just get side-tracked too often!

I have not been able to pursue my non-profit activities as well as I'd like (haven't had the money!) I want to make several trips to the Reservation to deliver goods.

Long Term

I have always, and still someday want to have my dream cabin in the Black Hills of South Dakota. That dream pulls me through many a dark day! I also want to create a lens about my "fantasy cabin" and put words and pictures in detail about my future home. Hopefully soon, there will be a link to that very lens!

I want to do more to make ME happy and learn to say "No" more often.

I want to improve myself, increase my knowledge and expand my comfort zone in as many areas of my life as I can.

Update:

January 11, 2009:

I'm on my way! I've started some blogs and websites that I am making myself focus on and will eventually bring them all together. The two blogs that I still work on are

GO! Grandmas Online

Thrifty Home

And my New Sites are:

The Kitchen Table

Affiliate Marketing 101 Today

Now, I know this all looks like a jumbled mess right now but trust me, there is a plan! I still work as a content writer and now have lowered my daily word assignment to about 4500-7500 words a day so that I can work on my own ventures.

I'm on my way! I'm still very excited about it too. This beats the heck out of resolving to lose weight. Well, I'm off to work on my site (and grab a cupcake!) Blessings!

Almost all of us have goals in life we'd like to reach, but many of us fail to see them through because we lack the knowledge to get started in making them reality. In this article we will discuss how to take action towards getting those goals out of your head and into the world of reality.
Read on to find step-by-step instructions to help you create goals and the actions needed to complete them. By following this plan, you'll be more apt to succeed at meeting your goals in life, no matter what they may be.

1. Write it down. Many dreams are forgotten because we neglect to put it on paper. One day we'll say, "Oh, yeah, I wanted to do that when I was young." No one says that you have to pursue all of the goals that are listed on the paper, but if you do choose to work towards it, you'll remember what it was in the first place. One effective way to do this is to make your list of goals within a journal because you will be writing other lists that pertain to these goals as you work towards their completion.

2. Make a decision about the goals you've written down. Each goal has possibilities and difficulties. Begin a list of the pros and cons of each goal you wrote down in step one. This will help you narrow down your choices. Those with too many cons may need to be omitted from your list or at least moved to another list for now.

3. Are these goals for me? Now that we have narrowed the list to the possible goals, how do you feel about each one? Take the time to list your feelings about the goals left on the list. Be sure to list positive thoughts as well as any misgivings you may have. Being a lawyer can be a worthy goal, but if you have small children at home, this may not be the right time to pursue it. Or, there may be other ways you can help with law enforcement besides becoming an attorney.

4. Create a plan for the goals. This goes for every goal even if it won't be pursued right now. Five years down the road, you may want to think about selling your home or moving to another state. When it comes time to look at this goal, you will already have a plan for achieving it. The plan can be for a long term or short term goal. If plans for different goals mesh together, more than one goal can be pursued at a time.

Tip: It might be wise, especially if this is the first time working with goal planning, to focus on one or two goals right now and revisit the others at a later time.

5. Divide the plan into manageable steps. It is easy to become overwhelmed when thinking about the completed goal. Starting a business is a commitment both of finances and time. Realize, everything doesn't have to be done all at one time. Steps or milestones, allow for smaller goals to be achieved on the way to the bigger one.

6. Get going. The hardest part is over. You have taken the time to put a plan in place and pursue the dream that has lain dormant for years. Start with step one and work your way forward.
Taking action towards a goal does not have to seem overwhelming if you take time to decide which goals are worth going after, planning the steps necessary to get to the desired result, and simply get going with those steps. Before any goal can get off the ground, it needs a direction to go. Once you have the direction it's just a matter of checking things off your list until they are complete. Take things one step at a time and you'll reach the finish line before you know it.