I remember reading greeting cards that I received for my wedding and
someone wrote “Hope you guys accomplish great things together!” That stuck with
me. At first, I didn’t know what to make of it. At the time, I was clear about
what I wanted to accomplish as an individual, I had a general idea about my
husband’s dreams, I knew we wanted to have a family and make a good life for
ourselves but beyond that everything was fuzzy. I just hadn’t thought that far out
yet.
I am a planner by nature so I had learned the power of goal-setting
but doing it as a couple was a whole different story. In the beginning, we reacted
to things a lot and over time we learned to budget and plan ahead. Of course
there are situations where you feel like there’s no need to plan ahead because the
resources just aren’t there in the first place.
However, research shows that when you have a plan, you have a
significantly better chance of accomplishing it. Setting goals together will
definitely give you a better shot of realizing them. If you don’t know where to
start, I would suggest making a wish list. To me, it is a kinder and gentler
version of the corporate term “brainstorming,” which can sound chaotic and like
‘way too much work.’ Once you have your wish list, take a break and let it
percolate for a while (you decide how long) but not longer than three months.
Next, decide what’s agreeable, realistic and doable. Then you can add dates and
do a further breakdown into action steps and who’s responsible for what and
when.
When done well (that is when everyone participates fully) the
benefits of goal setting together can be rewarding---improved goal-setting
skills, better partnership, stronger bond, pride in accomplishing together and
a better future.
I am eternally grateful for that note my wedding greeting card because
it continues to inspire me after all these years. Beware what you write in a
greeting card. It might turn out to be a source of inspiration for a lifetime!
No comments:
Post a Comment