My Goals from 2 Years Ago
Posted by kaileenelise on November 16th, 2009
The most fertile source of insight is hindsight.
(Morris Kline)
I was recently catching up on emails and organizing the files on my computer when I came across a document I haven’t seen for 2 years. These are the fresh thoughts of a recent-graduate just entering the workforce. Some goals have changed since then, but others are an eerily accurate picture of where I want to be in the next 8 years:
Describe the house you live in 10 years?
I am living in a spacious 2-bedroom condo in a city. I have my own parking and laundry. I have spectacular views and can walk down to grab a coffee from a nearby Starbucks. I have an excellent kitchen, an office area and a meditation space. I have enough room to live comfortably with my 2 dogs. I am really close to a Whole Foods and a pool where I train with a masters team. My condo is the gathering spot for my friends because it is very comfortable and put-together. Friends from other places in the world like visiting me because it is set up well for guests. I have great neighbors. I love coming home after business trips. My condo has wood floors, crisp lines and a soft atmosphere. It is a perfect mix of masculine and feminine decor. My fiance and I fall in love here.
Where do you live, what area of the country?
I live in a city and am a half-day’s drive to water. There is moisture in the air and the winters are reasonable. The drive to the airport is easy. I am comfortable in my geographical location and visit other places often.
What is your plan to achieve your income and career goals?
I am applying my laser focus and work ethic on my short-term and long-term goals. I am celebrating my small victories and those of others around me. I am making it my mission to learn as much as possible about the inner workings of the business world. I actively pursue mentoring from individuals who can be great teachers to me.
Reflecting on my past feelings and aspirations gives me a sense of how far I have come. I can read through these lines and find the insecurities I have overcome and the experience I have gained. Two years into my life as a real-live grownup, I have made great strides toward the life of my dreams. Sure, there is plenty of room for improvement, but sometimes it is nice to just focus on the ground already covered.
Do you sometimes check back in on your old journals or writings? What is it that you find between the lines?
photo credit: kate’s paperie
Tags: Goals & Intentions, Plans, Reflection
It is always interesting to come across older documents like this that you found. I don’t have this experience often, b/c I don’t journal (unless you could random thoughts on my blog). I do though have a pretty good memory of dreams and goals I set some years back, and every so often I will ponder them and compare to where I am in this moment.
I agree – there is usually insight to be gained from looking back on our past selves. The other day I found a list of 100 things I wanted to do in my lifetime. It was interesting to see which ones I’ve accomplished since then, and which I no longer find interesting or desirable. Thanks for sharing this.
i LOVE reflections!!! especially my past break-ups… i like to go back and read those posts to remind myself that seriously, what doesn’t kill you does make you stronger. It’s strange to find how lonely/desperate/or relieved i was in that “past life.” Sometimes i find myself wishing i could remember the girl i was then.
I love reflecting on my past. I posted this entry on my birthday, and you wouldn’t believe how therapeutic it was. Looking back and realizing how far I’ve come in my short twenty-six year is awesome. I like everyone else have had up’s and down’s, but overall I’m proud of my accomplishments.
Stephanie, thanks for sharing your link. It is always great to look back and reflect on past accomplishments. There’s always something else to get done and check off the list – so it is important to look back to gain a sense of perspective.
If I would stop deleting things, I could read past reflections
I have been very steadfast in my vision though, and I have a hard time believing what’s happening is real. Am I really going to be an art therapist? (or at least have the degree..) lol. So strange. I’ve wanted this for so long. I reflect on this often.
I hope I can be a friend that visits the really comfy condo!
It sounds strange, but I’m almost scared to read past journals. I did that once and cringed at how much of it revolved around my relationship with my then boyfriend – ick. I love that you did this and see how far you’ve come.
Funny you should mention past journals. I have a tote full of them and have been thinking about digging them out and reading them. Oh, I need to empty some space for time to do this. It would be good for me. maybe after Christmas.
This is pretty crazy. I do the same thing myself in terms of intentions, visions, and goals. I’ve done them for four years now. Reading yours, I felt like I was reading my own intentions, our style of writing and visioning is almost identical. Incredible. I also graduated school two years ago (May 2007). Looks like we have a lot in common. If you are ever in Chicago, let me know!