I’m about a quarter of the way through Angela Duckworth’s GRIT
in which she discusses goal setting as it relates to passion and perseverance. Yes, I’ve read about goal setting before;
this time something struck a chord. She
talks about selecting an overarching goal and then creating the behaviors to help
you get to where you want to be. In
looking at my life, I see that my goal is to make my life as simple as I can so
that my family will not have to deal with many complications as I age. Granted, some things are out of my hands- Mother
Nature, accidents, genetics, and environment. Duckworth helped me to crystalize my life's mission and I am looking forward to learning more from her book.
And while this involves getting my papers in order and
taking care of the legal and end of life issues, it also means keeping myself
healthy by eating and exercising as best as I can. I have wondered what motivates me to get to a
class at the gym, to read about nutrition, to try new recipes, to cook instead
of making reservations, to read books, to start a blog. All of these interests and actions will lead
me to my primary goal…dying from old age rather than from disease. And at the same time, living the best life I can.
For the past 9 years I have been a dragon boater in the
spring and summer. And in the winter, I
continue to exercise so that I will not be a basket case when I get in the boat
in the spring. Being a dragon boater allowed
me to use the adjective, "athlete", to describe myself. Even in high school, gym was my least
favorite subject. I was never on a
team. Growing up, my favorite activity was lying on
the floor watching a small black and white TV.
“Naomi” and “athletic” were never used in the same sentence. Fast forward 60 years and I became an
athlete. Entering my 70s, it became even more important
to be as healthy as possible. As I learn
more about what is in our food and as I listen to my body about what foods and
exercises make me feel strong and healthy, I am hopeful I can continue to make
good decisions.
In other words, I want to reach my goal of dying of old age
while not being a burden to my family.
And my smaller goals of eating right, exercising, socializing, and
learning will help me achieve this.
What are your goals?
Are career and personal goals in line?
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