Measuring Your Progress

There are times when you need to measure your progress on your journey. You can do this at certain points of times during every transition. Here are some suggested time and then some questions for you to ask yourself.  The potential times to do this are:


Four months after a move
Two months after graduating college
Three months into a new job
Two months after retiring
One year after the loss of a loved one
Six months after getting married


What has been accomplished? 

What is there left to do? 

What has been learned? 

How have you changed?

How are things different than you expected?

What do you know now that you did not know then about yourself? (Example: You are skilled in packing fragile items)


Reviewing and reflecting can help you get a fresh perspective and grasp of where you are and what you have accomplished. I encourage you to take some time to size things up. It can be revitalizing and give you some more energy to move forward.

Achievements and Accomplishments

I have kept an Accomplishment Journal for close to thirty years. This is a small notebook that contains a running list of my life’s accomplishments and achievements. This is a very personal but powerful tool.  Think of it like a running “to do list” but one that has been done.

Accomplishments are personal goals I have achieved (Distinguished Toastmaster Award), business developments (designed initial NSGCD/ICD Certificate and Certification program), new skills I have learned (begin blog – Transition Your Life) , developing my website www.terryprince.com, books I have read and finally finished (Bleak House), big or special trips I have made (Sweden/Italy).

Sometimes the accomplishments I list and record are private acknowledgments I have received (emails, letters, small tokens).   These accomplishments however, are not all tangible awards, promotions or credentials. Instead the accomplishments I list are often conversations I have had, times when I have been fully present or times when I supported my family members, business partners or friends with certain activities, ideas, actions or inaction’s.

The accomplishment journal provides me a sense of my life’s history, patterns and of stretch. When I want to venture into something new, I often spend a short period of time reflecting on my achievements and accomplishments. This gives me the strength and courage to proceed and go forward toward new projects or goals.

Consider taking the time to locate a small attractive book to become your accomplishment journal. Make your first entry –

• 12-17 Purchased an Accomplishment Journal

Changes and Challenges

Now is a great time to review the 2016 calendar and see the progress you have made in life's transitions, challenges and changes.

What have you accomplished?

What is on track in your life?

What is new and a positive addition to your life that you did not see or imagine last year?

Take some time to do this exercise so you can be aware of your accomplishments. You may want to consider creating an accomplishment journal. This is a great tool to see your life's transitions and changes.

Beyond The Goal

What happens when you reach your goal? While many Transition Your Life readers may not see the end or their destination at hand, I think discussing how one faces or handles this is of some importance.

When you reach your goal,  this is definitely when we need to first celebrate and savor in the moment of glory. This is something we should not miss.

Secondly, we need to appreciate what we or others did to help make the goal achievable. Very few journeys are journeys of one.  Sometimes upon reflection we realize others helped shape us and made contributions in ways we could not imagine. This might be the high school teacher, the motivational speaker, the neighbor down the road who always gave you a smile.

Thirdly, once the momentum of arrival and completion has slowed, I believe we need to ask ourselves some questions relating to the accomplishment of the goal. Making an immediate evaluation of what we have done has some value, but when the goal or achievement is monumental, I think taking a few weeks to ponder this might be the best choice.

Reaching your goal is a achievement which takes lots of effort and stamina. Give yourself some congratulations and savor your success.

This is a best of post

Learn from Autumn Leaves

A new neighbor of mine, recently stated to a fellow neighbor who was raking leaves. If only we had a penny for every leaf. I had never heard that particular expression before. It certainly makes for a good laugh. Something we all need when we are faced with a leaf strewn driveway and yard full of leaves. 

Fall brings us leaves to rake and splendid color. Fall is a time of thanks, reflection and review. As the leaves change and the days get shorter we seem to have more time to review our lives and take stock for planning our future. Unless of course, we are tired from raking leaves.

Here is a poem that speaks to the nature of leaves. 

Fall, leaves, fall;

by Emily Jane Brontë (1818 - 1848)

Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;

Lengthen night and shorten day;

Every leaf speaks bliss to me

Fluttering from the autumn tree.

I shall smile when wreaths of snow

Blossom where the rose should grow;

I shall sing when night's decay

Ushers in a drearier day.

Top photo by Joe. Bottom illustration by Kacei. Modified from 2007 posting.

Reflecting on a Year Passing

If you had to create an annual report for your past year, what would you include as completions or progress on projects?

For the past 5 years, graphic designer Nicholas Felton  has been creating an annual report listing his accomplishments and statistics.

What would you like to track in your life in 2011? Here are some statistics from my current year.

Travel
States visited other than state of residence - 6
Nights spent in other than home residence - 29


Books Read
At least 90. 15 of which were reread books.

Movies Attended in Movie Theater
5

Donation Trips to Goodwill Express  (personal)
7

September - Green and Growing

Many years ago, a mentor of mine gave me a plant and said "Keep Green and Growing". This advice seems to speak to me especially at the start of each September. September, after all, is the month of sharpened pencils, fresh notebooks and the fresh start drive to learn something new.

Make education a part of your life by reading, exploring new ideas and trends. Sharpen your writing skills by evaluating your past written materials. Can you upgrade your writing or be more concise? Evaluation is as much a part of learning as is exploring new things.

This September, I plan to be learning more about how we acquire, hold on to stuff and let go of stuff. This is part of my getting prepared for a presentation in October on The Possession Cycle.

What are you planning on learning this month?


This is a revisit of a September 2007 post.

Opening The Door

One of my readers, recently commented privately to me, that "sometimes you need to open the door when you hit the wall".

"Opening the Door" means looking out at new options and opportunities. It can also mean taking a look outside for awhile and then deciding to step back to where you feel comfortable and at home. Sometimes it is nothing ventured, nothing gained. Then again, it can be a useful exercise to review and analyze where you are now.

Check out my earlier post on Hitting the Wall.

Examining Your Hobby

I've been discussing hobbies on my blogs lately. After some more thinking, I believe hobbies come in four distinct types.


Creation: Creation hobbies are those that involve crafting, builiding, designing

Collection: Collection hobbies are those that involve locating, cataloging, displaying, discussing

Observation:  Observation hobbies are those activities that involve watching or attending as in the theater, art shows, museums, auto races, or ball games

Participation: Participation hobbies are those activities that involve doing such as dancing, running, photographing, singing, playing an instrument, or acting



There are no rules for hobbies. There are no right or wrong activities. Hobby selection is what works for you at your time, energy level or financial situation in life.

Sometimes we may participate in a hobby for many years until an injury or reduced physical sense comes in to play. We may then transition to being an observer. Conversely, we may be an observer and affectionado for many years until we have the time to commit to becoming an active participant. 

Some hobbies involve a crossover between the four types. Travel is one example. Travel can be thought of as an observe and participate activity. When traveling we often choose to observe others performing different activities not seen in our usual daily life. 

Now might be a good time to list your hobbies and see where you are in terms of the four categories.


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Look for Dust 
Renewing an Old Hobby

Look For Dust

Coming back after vacation is disheartening and refreshing. At first one may welcome one's bed and then one may face a mountain of snail and email.

This is a good time to look for dust - dust in your life. What is no longer serving you?

Do you have piles of books and magazines that are unread, or conversely read and no longer necessary? Spend some time culling out the piles. This will help you see new opportunities ahead.  

Check out your closet, do you see clothes no longer worn or cared for. These are great for donations to charity.

What about activities you no longer care to do? Do you have a retired hobby or uncared for collection. Reduce these former treasures to make space for your life today.

Reflections

Yesterday afternoon, my family was given an impromptu visit by a former neighbor, one we haven't seen in twelve years.

Nichole was the quiet but extremely intelligent and talented girl who lived three houses away. We knew she would find her way and she has. Nicole thanked us for being part of her childhood and we were delighted when she reminded us over tea and coffee of the things we did and said years ago.

We also shared our memories with her. I particularly remember the afternoon she received her first college acceptance (one of many) and her joyous cheer at the communal mailbox. I had been recently reminded of her as just one month ago, our youngest received her first college acceptance and experienced the same style of cheer in our own home.

The visit by Nicole was certainly one of the best surprise gifts of the season. Each of us have the ability to give little embers to each other, to inspire, encourage, warm and comfort. Let us all light little sparks in our neighbors and friends this upcoming year.

Joy, Friendship and Vacations

Today I am reflecting on being joyous. I have recently had some opportunities to reconnect with old friends from year's past. It is great to get an update on one's friends lives. I think you have to be in the right frame of mind to do this. For several months I purposefully procrastinated and did not return emails as I knew I truly wasn't in the right place to share or be fully present.

To get to the right place I now know I needed to turn a "state of mind" corner. This happened with a much needed vacation. A week by the beach really refreshed my mind and spirit. I now feel much more present and joyous. Even if you have few funds available this year, I encourage you to take some form of vacation from your usual life and improve your state of mind. It is amazing how time spent away from one's usual responsibilities can move us forward.

Clearing Out The Old Rolodex

Today I went through my kitchen Rolodex. It has been used less and less as I have become use to using my ACT software on my computer to look things up. It was a walk down memory lane with contractors for household services such as roof repair, painting and carpet cleaning.

It is amazing how in less than 15 years how much changes in the neighborhood. The closest Target at the time closed, and an even closer one opened. The local big box drug store changed hands three times - from a Payless to a Rite Aid to a Longs, Weinstocks changed to a Macy's, and the name of my children's pediatric practice changed. My card stack is now 1/5th the size.

I have still to go through my office Rolodex - the paper one that occasionally brings extreme excitement when my computer freezes up and I have to look up a phone number "manually". The joy of easy access...the visual thrill of seeing lots of contacts.