Be aware of  and understand the assumptions
you make when establishing your goals.

So, we’ve made it to the last month of 2020. You might feel like you need a long hot shower or an extended meditation retreat. Or a nice bottle of red wine. Think back to this time last year. December 2019. Besides getting ready for the holidays, perhaps you examined and plotted your goals for the coming year.

You planned, prepared, and put your best foot forward on January 1, 2020. Then the 2020 train of events took us on a journey we had not booked. Your goals may have been derailed, altered, or put on hold. Now we stand in the station, facing 2021, and wondering what this ride will bring.  You may even think, “What’s the use to plan? I’ll just let things happen.”  I encourage all of us to keep dreaming, planning, and moving toward our future. It (the future) will be coming whether we prepare or not.

Below you will find abbreviated versions of strategies I have written and spoken about to help put goals in perspective. With each strategy you will find a link to a more in-depth post. Some of the models overlap. I hope they get your juices flowing. Maybe you know someone (colleague, family member, a student, or a community group) who could benefit.

• Six Dimensions of Well-Being
  • When looking at your goals consider the various dimensions of your life. Which one (or ones) need your attention moving forward? Which provide your strength?
    • Social
    • Occupational
    • Spiritual
    • Physical
    • Intellectual
    • Emotional
  • Six Ds for End-of-Year Review
    • Meaningful goals require thought about what you want to do, how you will do it, why you will do it, input from the team/mentors, and reflection. Then repeat. As you, your team, and your community look to the coming year, consider The Six Ds for an End-of-the-Year Review.
      • Delve
      • Describe
      • Discuss and/or Debate
      • Digest
      • Do It Again.
    • The Second R.E.A.D.
      • We all have different versions/definitions of what success looks like and how we grade ourselves. Be aware of  and understand the assumptions you make when establishing your goals. Give your goals a “second R.E.A.D.” to make sure they are authentic for you. How do your goals connect to these four categories?
        • Relationships
        • Excitement
        • Authenticity
        • Difference
      • The Seven Rs for Purpose and Growth
        • As you develop your goals pay attention to your core values.
          • Relationships
          • Resources
          • Relevance
          • Rainbows
          • Reflection
          • Responsibility
          • Resilience

Best wishes as you chart your course forward. Don’t put off your dreams.

Photo by Steve Piscitelli©2020

Video recommendation for the week:

Leo Buscaglia reminds us not to wait. If we wait it might then be too late.

Make it a great week and HTRB has needed.

My new book has been released.
eBook ($2.99) Paperback ($9.99). Click here.

Roxie Looks for Purpose Beyond the Biscuit.

Well, actually, my dog Roxie gets top billing on the author page for this work. Without her, there would be no story.
Click here for more information about the book.

In the meantime, check out her blog.

And you can still order:

• My book, Community as a Safe Place to Land (2019), (print and e-book) is available on More information (including seven free podcast episodes that spotlight the seven core values highlighted in the book) at www.stevepiscitelli.com.
• Check out my book Stories about Teaching, Learning, and Resilience: No Need to be an Island (2017). It has been adopted for teaching, learning, and coaching purposes. I conducted (September 2019) a half-day workshop for a community college’s new faculty onboarding program using the scenarios in this book. Contact me if you and your team are interested in doing the same. The accompanying videos would serve to stimulate community-building conversations at the beginning of a meeting.

My podcasts can be found at The Growth and Resilience Network®.

You will find more about what I do at www.stevepiscitelli.com.

©2020. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®