Monday, January 4, 2010

Motivation Monday


Goals are great but don't forget to dream!

These days it seems hardly anyone makes new year's resolutions but goal setting appears to be all the rage. And why not? Establishing specific, measurable, attainable objectives is a good thing to do. Ah, but there can be a downside to goal setting. The downside is that we can become so focused on the goals that we lose sight of our dreams.

In the past few months I have been doing quite a bit of thinking about what I spend my time on and why. I began to realize that some of my goals had become disconnected from my dreams. In fact my goals had become more like items on a to do list. I realized it was time to reconnect with my dreams. To remedy the disconnect, I have consciously spent time pondering the visions that I have for my life, my art and my business. I discovered that some of my dreams have been realized (yeah!) and that some of my dreams have changed. No wonder chasing after certain goals no longer inspired me. These thoughts have led me on an interesting journey of self discovery.

So how about you? Are your goals connected to your dreams? Are you sure you know what your dreams are? How about your motivation level? Did your motivation wane during the past year? If so, maybe it is time for you to reconnect with your dreams too. Reconnecting with the why behind the what of what you do will take your motivation level to new heights.

Dreams can and do change. That's because we change and grow. As you look ahead at this new year and you prepare to set goals, I encourage you to take the time to get reacquainted with your dreams. What is your vision for your life and art? Where would you like to be a year from now or five years from now? Perhaps you will find that your answers are somewhat different than what you would have come up with a few years ago. That's okay. Celebrate how you have changed and dare to make new goals. Just remember that it is a lot easier for us to reach our destination if we actually know where we are going. :-) I wish you all the best on your journey!


If you are new to my blog, please note that there are other Motivation Monday posts. You can locate and read them all by clicking on the Motivation Monday button in the right hand sidebar.

14 comments:

Paula Pertile said...

What a great post! I DO need to reconnect with my dreams a bit - or a lot. You hit the nail on the head with this one. What a great excuse to sit with a cup of tea or glass of wine and ponder. Thanks!!

CountryDreaming said...

Awesome post and very timely.

My most successful pictures seem to be crafted in a spirit of playfulness or pretending to be an artist rather than considering myself one.

Winter is a huge inspiration. And having announced to two friends in a restaurant last night who were nervously looking out the window at a ragingly beautiful Lake Effect Snowstorm that since I'm the Queen of Narnia, there would be snow in my realm and I would celebrate it by jumping into my carriage and enjoying the full glory of the winter storm, it was only right that since the roads were still open where I was, that I visit a local Metropark today. Thanks to my eccentric method of holding myself accountable, I came away from the park with a photo I'm happy with.

My hope this year is to apply that same spirit of zany unique fun to my blog, which I think suffered last year from my trying too hard to be a "serious blogger" and follow all the rules listed by experts. Hey, if the rules work for you, great. If not, why not experiment?

As for where I'm going with art, I mostly just feel like Forrest Gump wandering around with a camera. Running.

Gillian Mowbray said...

A very enjoyable and thought-provoking post.At my age (60) the goals and dreams tend to be smaller and more realistic but it's healthy to always strive and learn. x

Laure Ferlita said...

So odd how we set the goals to lead us to the dreams only to disconnect from the dreams.

I've not disconnected so much as I have found that my dream is a little harder to define and my goals from last year were paltry in comparison to what I accomplished.

I've been wondering how I can have goals that are big enough and open enough to support the dream as it develops.

Lynda Schumacher said...

Hey Teresa-
I have been giving alot of thought to these very issues lately. One of the things I have found is that because I basically did not draw for nearly three decades, I lost sight of my dreams as related to my artwork.........so part of my efforts are focused on getting these clarified. Its coming!.......stay tuned for more in my next post! hahaha

Valerie Jones said...

Great post, Teresa! It came at a good time. :)

m1 Designs said...

This is a very appropriate post this time of year. So far I seem to be on track with my goals for the year, but I do keep them at a level that I feel I can actually achieve. Love your "motivation Monday"

Teresa Mallen said...

Hi Paula, your welcome! Depending on your state of disconnect, you may need a very large pot of tea or perhaps the entire bottle of wine (but after a bottle of wine you probably wouldn't be thinking too clearly) :-) I was musing over this stuff for quite a while. Good luck!!

Hey there CD/Queen of Narnia, glad to have you back in the blogging world these days. I would definitely go with the non-serious blogger approach. It suits you. It sounds like you are right on track with your Forrest Gump approach to photography! You go girl...keep those snowflakes coming... :-)

Hi Gillian, dreams are dreams even if they are a bit more realistic and a tad smaller than former dreams! :-) Just as long as you have some...

Hi Laure, you describe an interesting situation. Sometimes dreams are hard to pin down and define. As you have been surpassing your goals, I would suggest you are doing something right. Things have been unfolding at a fast pace for you and I would say that your are flowing along nicely. Perhaps you just need to keep riding your surf board to see where it takes you. :-)

Hi Lynda, what an exciting time - when you get to dream up new dreams. It does take a lot of soul searching doesn't it?!

Hi Valerie, are you dreaming deep these days too? It is a wonderful gift to give yourself.

Teresa Mallen said...

Hi Maria, we were writing at the same time and I missed your comment. Glad you like the M. Mondays! One of your current goals must be to whip off new pieces like a wild woman - your level of productivity these days is most admirable!! :-)

Anonymous said...

Nice blog. Hope you have a wonderful day!

Carlynne Hershberger, CPSA said...

Nice blog post Teresa. After getting the big "C" diagnosis and having surgery I spent quite a bit of time thinking about those very things. It does tend to change your perspective a little when you have a scare like that. My art goals really didn't change at all but my personal goals shifted. I began thinking about how I really want to spend my time and energy and who I want to spend them with.

Thanks again for your comments on my blog, I really appreciate it.

Dianna Wallace Soisson said...

Teresa....What an inspiration for all artists! To me a goal should be something attainable and then the dreams can be either not far from that goal or as far as the unreachable. But that is the beauty of a dream, it puts a smile on your face even if for a moment, or if it becomes an accomplished goal that smile becomes life-long laughter.
As an artist, I'm sure that mine is like many others...we all want to become discovered. Along the way my dream has been interrupted by more than it's share of nightmares. But that dream is becoming brighter and closer.
Thank you Teresa for putting that inspiration out there!

Brenda said...

I love your posts! I have followed your blog for awhile now. You've inspired me to start my own site. Your work is amazing. Thank you for making me think seriously about my own art and decide to not be afraid to show it!

Teresa Mallen said...

Hi Amber, thank you!

Hi Carlynne - there is nothing like facing our own mortality to get us to examine our lives. When my Mom died I suddenly became very aware of how brief our lives really are and that is when I kicked this whole 'being an artist thing' into high gear. We can receive a wonderful gift from such terrible things as a 'C' scare or the death of a loved one if afterwards we choose to live life with more awareness, thoughtfulness and gratitude. You have been through a lot recently and I am sure you are savouring life like never before. You go girl!!

Dianna, well hi there and thank you for becoming a follower! Humm, I really like your notion of "a dream as far as the unreachable". In the past few years I have been challenging myself to 'dream big'.I am so glad that your dream is becoming brighter and closer. Thank you for taking the time to comment!

And woo-hoo Brenda, a lurker has come forth!!! Welcome! And my gosh what a lovely comment. Thank you. Do stop by again!! :-)