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Turn 2016 into the year you DREAMED and then DID: step 2

1/22/2016

 
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This is the second installment of our three easy and powerful steps to turning your hopes and dreams for 2016 into reality. 
Last week we talked about harnessing your positive thoughts and energy to keep you moving forward. Missed it? Check it out here
Now for step two: 
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2. CLOSE YOUR EYES, DREAM A LITTLE…THEN PLAN EACH STEP! ​

Where would you like to see yourself at the end of the year? 
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Imagine it’s the last day of school or the end of the year and you look back - you are incredibly happy and amazed at how the year went! You had an OUTSTANDING year and dreams became reality! How does that feel? Knowing what you want will help you sift through potential distractions and help you focus your energy. So give yourself a few minutes to just dream (close your eyes if it helps, or grab a pen and paper to write it down) and imagine what a great year could look like (here is where you stop reading and start dreaming).
Tip: Consider making a dream collage to capture and visualize your dreams for the year. Keep it somewhere prominent so you can remind yourself along the way. 
Done?
Now you have an idea of what a GREAT year would look like, here’s the next (harder but important) step:

Write down WHO you need to become to make that a reality:
Examples could include
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I want to be brave (even when I feel scared, no matter what happens) - this might include: speaking up in class even if you are not sure of the answer; starting a new group at school or in your community; asking for help; standing up for someone being bullied
  • I want to be someone that people can trust.
  • I want to build bridges of understanding in my community.
  • I want to be a champion for the environment.
Good job! Write these somewhere you go to often (bathroom, walls in your bedroom, journal) and remind yourself frequently. 
Now write down WHAT you need to do to get there. Write down your GOALS. 
Once you know where you want to go, having specific, stated goals will serve as your road map to getting there - making sure you stay on track and don’t get lost along the way! In order for your goals to really help you, make sure that they
  • Are specific (what exactly do you want to accomplish?) If one of your dreams was to increase understanding in your community, example goals could be: I will volunteer at the new refugee home; I will organize a community project day.
  • Are measurable (how will you know you have achieved it?) Here you could add to the above goals: I will volunteer at a refugee home weekly; I will organize a community project day that involves at least 10 students working on a specific community improvement project together with members of a local organization.
  • Are time-bound (when will you achieve it). Make sure you’ll know when to congratulate yourself! For the above examples:  By the end of January, I will identify a refugee home where I can volunteer weekly ; I will organize a community project day in April that involves at least 10 students working on a specific community improvement project together with members of a local organization
Once you have set three specific goals, you can take little steps every day and every week to make sure you get there. Stick with it and you’ll be impressed by how much you can accomplish!

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TIP: Focusing on three things at a time is helpful. 
To avoid frustration and really focus your efforts in 2016, consider making a list of three specific goals you want to pursue. And then focus on making those things happen.

We’d love to know what you are working toward this year, so we can support you and help celebrate your success! Send us an email to info@girlsgearingup.org or tag us using #GGU2016
 letting us know how you are gearing up for the year. We're hoping it will be an outstanding one for you!

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​How's it going? Keep us posted. 

info@girlsgearingup.org
facebook: /girlsgearingup

twitter: @girlsgearingup

Up next: Your own personal cheer leading team - how they help, how to get one. Stay tuned!
Interesting stuff to know: 
  • Tina Seelig's idea-filled, very interesting book "What I wish I Knew When I Was 20" talks about the importance of focusing on 3 things and so much more! It includes lots of interesting exercises for building entrepreneurial skills and so many insights about the skills and characteristics it takes to make your place in the world. Highly recommended! 

Turn 2016 into the year you DREAMED and then DID   

1/12/2016

1 Comment

 
We recently saw a post by Reading Rainbow that said: “In 2016 don't be afraid to read, think, dream, imagine... But also DO.”
Right on!
This is exactly what we have been thinking about in the past few days – how do we all turn 2016 into the year that we chased all of our dreams – the year all of us, all over the world, turned ideas into reality and all of those sentences that start with “I want to do” into “I’m doing”, and then eventually into “I did!”
​In three blog posts, we will describe three easy and powerful things you can do today proven to help you turn your beginning-of-the year great ideas into year-round satisfaction and end-of-the-year success celebrations!
Here's the first of three installments: 
​1. KEEP TRACK OF WHAT YOU ARE DOING WELL!
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We are proud of you! Yes, we’re really talking about you! You did many things well this past week. So often we focus on and share our shortcomings or failures with people instead of talking about our successes. Taking time to consider what we are proud of or what we have done well helps us stay centered and focus in on all of the positive parts of our lives. The more we focus on what is positive and what is going well, the better we can rewrite any old negative styles of thinking about ourselves, giving ourselves more energy and confidence to move forward.
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So what can you do now? Grab a piece of paper and think of 10 things you have done in this past week that you feel good about, or are proud of in some way. Can you list 20? More? Hang in there and keep asking yourself “what else?” until you have a good list of 10-20 things you feel you did well in the past seven days.
Why do this? This exercise is proven method that helps rewire our thinking to be resource oriented instead of problem centered.  

TIP: Consider keeping a success journal to write down three successes at the end of each day. Alternatively, start a “success jar” – throw in a scrap of paper with three things you’ve done well every day. Keeping the practice up will show you that – even on hard days – you have something to feel proud of, and when you’re feeling down or deflated, take a look at all you have accomplished already! 
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How tracking your success will help you DO in 2016:
​1.) Helps you focus on the positive, giving you more energy and confidence. More confidence = more action!
2.) Helps you be resource-oriented instead of problem-focused. Resource orientation = finding solutions! 
3.) Serves as a record of how much you can be proud of and how much you have accomplished already. I've already done great stuff = I can do more great stuff!
Up next: Goals - how they help, how to set them. Stay tuned! 
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How's it going? Keep us posted. 
info@girlsgearingup.og
facebook: /girlsgearingup

twitter: @girlsgearingup

Interesting stuff to know: 
  • The "10 things I did well this week" exercise  comes from the world of Brief Solution Focused Therapy, a method that helps rewire our thinking to be resource oriented. 
  • The Centered Leadership Project, led by Joanna Barsh, has spent years interviewing remarkable women from around the world, with the goal of understanding what drives and sustains the most successful women in leadership today. According to their research, optimism and positive thinking directly correlate to success. Read more in "How Remarkable Women Lead" by Joanna Barsh and Susie Cranston
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