Milestones

We generally think of milestones as being major accomplishments.  However, as I embrace moving forward one day at a time, it's encouraging to consider addressing, accomplishing and celebrating as milestones, anything that we complete that might have impeded our progress.

Milestones are as unique as the individuals who achieve and recognize them.

Degrees of Difficulty

Julia, Gar and I had long anticipated this past long weekend and approached our three very different races - 5k, marathon and half-marathon with varying degrees of preparation.  The only different challenge facing me in my 5k was Austin's hills, as the distance was within my 1 - 3 mile daily run range.  Julia prepared diligently for her first marathon, after successfully completing 4 half-marathons and two Ragnar relays.  And though several of her training runs incorporated distances greater than her previous longest distance of 13.1 miles, she'd not yet completed 26.2 miles, nor had she trained on hills like Austin would present.  And Gar approached his first half-marathon, with the expectation that years of athleticism and youth, rather than training, would serve him well.

We each completed our races with better results than expected.  And we each embraced different degrees of difficulty for ourselves.  My race would not have been a challenge for either of my children, but I increased my normal pace and ran my fastest time ever.  Gar's race was an amazing feat for him, but would have just been a 5th half-marathon finish for Julia.  And Julia's goal-setting, preparation and determination served her well in completing a race which a small percentage of the population even attempts.  Yet, scores of runners also completed her race.

It worked out beautifully that we were all proving something only to ourselves, and could appreciate and celebrate the accomplishments of our other cherished family members.

It's important to realize that what is easy for one is a momentous accomplishment for another.  Degrees of difficulty are very individualized.

Just Start

To Do Lists are so helpful.  And often, they include things we just don't want to do.  It's so very rewarding to be able to accomplish a goal and eliminate an item.  But sometimes, just noting progress toward a challenging item is liberating.  Getting started is frequently the most difficult step for a project that we don't want to do.

Setting a timer works well for me.  I often choose 15 minutes because it is such a doable time frame. Happily, I'm often so motivated by the start, and the option to quit, that I do far more than anticipated.  

Starting is the first step toward achievement!

Diplomatically Sharing What Else You Know

When hired for a particular role, it can discouraging to make additional skills, abilities and experiences, beyond a current role known. Social media can be a great equalizer.  Effective users of social media, regardless of age or experience, can become known as subject matter experts, to those at all levels of their current or asprirational organizations.

Mentoring, sponsoring, volunteering, speaking, blogging, continuous learning and sharing are incremental ways to demonstrate additional aptitudes.

And, creating an independent agenda for 1:1 meetings with a manager allows the subordinate to adequately prepare to positively portray not only accomplishments, but also skills and abilities.

Now and Next

Regardless of our passions, age or experience -  we owe it to ourselves, families, communities and careers to consciously consider what we are doing now that excites us, or brings us joy, or makes a difference.  (Ideally these things will converge.) And with those answers, we must consider how we will invest our time, talent and treasure to insure that what we do next will continue to make a difference to us, those we love and those we aspire to help.

Expect the Best!

I'm continually thrilled when others go above and beyond the great things I expect!

1000 Things to Say? Yes!

When I began this adventure - 1000 posts ago, with the encouragement of Christine and Janet, I wouldn't have done it if they'd told me I had to post 1000 times. Thankfully, they both assured me that only one post every week would suffice.  And, what an inspiring project it has been!

Things I've realized:

• starting is often the hardest step and encouragement is crucial
• we all have more to share than we know
• attempting something contemporary and new to us is another way to continuously learn and relate to younger friends and associates
• expecting to share information makes us more observant and communicative
• no one has 1000 things to spontaneously share
• setting an achievable goal is motivating (it's exciting to realize that I've exceeded the once per week objective nearly five times!)
• we never know who might be touched by the things we share
• reconnecting with old friends is a joy
• stuff that happens to us might encourage another
• creative outlets take different forms at various stages of our lives

365 Miles

It feels so good to complete an ambitious goal!  There is no way that I would have believed, a year ago, that I would have the satisfaction of running 365 miles this year.  Becoming a runner wasn't on my list of 2012 goals.  However, once I started running, it was only natural to establish a goal and track my progress.  Heat, cold, rain, snow, injury and early morning meetings provided ample excuses not to run.  And, attaining 95% of my goal would have been pretty good.  However, the 365 mile goal kept me motivated and moving.

It's day 365 of 2012 and I just finished mile 365!

It's Too...

Though Houston is blessed with mild winters, the rapid change in temperature from the 80s to the 40s makes early mornings seem especially cold.  It would have been easy to opt out of running this week, but I didn't.  Each sequential cold day, I made additional appropriate clothing adjustments to make the experience more positive.

Change of any sort always gives us an excuse to suspend our positive activities.  Instead of deciding that it is too (insert any obstacle) to achieve our objectives, it often helps to overcome the excuses by focusing on the positive outcome/feeling/accomplishment achieved by powering through any initial discomfort.

Accountable

It's easy to overestimate the good things we do and underestimate the things that don't meet expectations.  Wish I could invent a general goal tracker that's as exacting as some of the exercise tools I use! 

Regardless of how active I think I am during the day, my electronic trackers, don't let me hedge.  These devices help me hold myself accountable for the activity level and distance I want to achieve.  Without them, I fear, I'd forget the days an early meeting precludes a run, and mentally substitute busyness for actual physical activity. 

Accountability is crucial for goal attainment.  We can monitor ourselves, be monitored by others and/or rely on tools.  The ideal formula includes all three.

Antidote for Idonwanna

I recently had a rare case of  "I Don't Want To" - better known as Idonwanna.  The generally persuasive triplets, Should, Could and Must, weren't effective.  However Itty Bitty cured me.  By allowing myself to tackle some big tasks in 15 minute chunks, I started some and finished other nagging projects.

Itty Bitty is a terrific Idonwanna antidote.

Accepting Compliments

I am fortunate to be surrounded by people who are continuously achieving promotions, awards and milestone accomplishments.  It's interesting to observe the different ways that they receive the congratulations and praise bestowed by interested, excited family members and friends.  At a minimum a heartfelt thank you is needed.  When it is appropriate to acknowledge the significance of the praise, that makes the other person happy too.  For instance, "I've always admired you, so your acknowledgment is ever so meaningful."  Or letting the other person know, "You've made my day!" assures them that the circle of goodwill is working well.  Though we've been taught not to toot our own horns too loudly, we must remember when we deflect or dismiss the sincere congratulatory wishes of others, we risk deflating our well-wishers and we miss the opportunity to have our accomplishments elevated by others. 

Accomplishments

Each new year brings a focus on the possibilities for the coming 52 weeks.  We owe it to ourselves to also celebrate all that we've accomplished in the previous 365 days. 

Success Mapping

I've had the unique opportunity to read Arlene Johnson's terrific book, success mapping: Achieve What You Want... Right Now!, before hearing her speak on the same topic for our November Sterling Bank Women's Business Initiative luncheon in Dallas.  She is accomplished, engaging and determined.  We all left the luncheon without a doubt that we must determine what is important and focus on progress every day.

Her personal story of defying her doctor's projections that her oral cancer would prevent her from being understood in her verbal communications or even being able to open her mouth wide enough to enjoy a cheeseburger, vividly demonstrates the significant power of completely seizing and achieving personal goals.  We all benefit from the reality that Arlene overcame this dire prognosis to launch her successful speaking and consulting career.

Reading Arlene's book is the next best thing to spending one-on-one time working through her eight clearly defined steps for achieving personal and professional success. Each step is illuminated with instructions, worksheets and stories of clients working through the process. She helps us take the plan from theory to reality.

Embracing our potential, clarifying our options, believing that we will succeed, removing obstacles and executing our plan creates a map for individual success.

Two of Arlene's key questions to propel us forward are:

What do I want to accomplish that I haven't?
What are my benefits and consequences of doing and not doing this action?

"The strategy of hope without action robs you of the joy of experiencing progress today and dreams fulfilled tomorrow." Arelene helps us to intentionally plan and achieve our goals.

Outrageously Delicious

I am blessed to be surrounded by accomplished family and commercial chefs.  Fortunately, I have an ability to moderate expectations.  My family chefs (Mama, Edgar, Julia and Gar) consistently delight the palate with their creative concoctions, prepared with love.  And since we are foodies, we are always seeking the "best of category" from commercial chefs. 

Ambience is a bonus, though not required to earn high marks from our discriminating crew.  Though we've eaten at many of the world's most acclaimed restaurants, many of our most memorable, outrageously delicious meals have been prepared with love by our family chefs.

I Can Do It

When we observe a task that needs to be done, we can proceed or wait for another to step up to the plate. It frustrates me that I am not physically able to accomplish some tasks. Everything else is gender neutral.  Each time I finish a project there's a sense of satisfaction, accomplishment and completion.

One More Thing

There are times when we think we have so much going that we can't possibly incorporate one more challenge. At times, that's just when we are given the chance to see how flexible we are.  The first 6 weeks of 2010 have been incredibly action-packed.  And the past 4 days were filled with 3 major critical work events.  To add a personal challenge to the mix, my Dad's knee replacement surgery was rescheduled to coincide with the largest of these events.   Though my stress level was high, thanks to many colleagues rising to the work challenge; and a community of medical professionals, friends and family members surrounding Daddy and Mama, tremendous success was possible on all fronts.

Curve balls like these remind us that none of us can do it alone, and we can often do more than we think is possible.