It is 5:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning; my hubby is downstairs exercising. I am upstairs typing a blog. It sounds a little wacky! No, I don’t live in a dysfunctional household. We both fell asleep while the television was watching us; now neither of us can fall asleep. I went to bed with the intent of starting my day at a normal hour but that’s not happening today! Lying in bed has resulted in me mentally creating an elaborate schedule of “must do’s” for the day. My mind is spinning with ideas and one of my favorite rules prevailed, “If you lie in bed for 30 minutes and can’t fall asleep, get up and DO SOMETHING!” I put a load of clothes in the washer and started a blog! A “Must Do” and a “Me Do!”
I’ve been deliberating over setting some goals for myself. After all, it’s the beginning of a new year! I narrowed my goal setting to the circles that consume my world: home, work, and ME! I know my plan will work well because it’s grounded in research. I am setting my personal goals based on information gleaned from my favorite orange book, The Happiness Advantage! Yes, I am still hooked on “happiness” and orange is one of my favorite colors!
In the book, the author wrote about the Zorro Circle, named after the swashbuckling movie character “Zorro.” The author elaborates on Zorro’s transformation from a binge-filled alcoholic to a masterful swordsman. He accredits Zorro’s conversion to his astute mentor and to Zorro’s ability to successfully navigate within manageable circles. Zorro’s first task was to become confident and skillful within a narrowly defined circle. After mastering the smallest circle, Zorro’s mentor widens the circle, thus prompting Zorro to perfect his craft even more. As the tale continues, Zorro becomes well known for his skills as a swordsman and dedicates himself to helping those in need. While the act of helping those in need resonates to many; the symbolism of the circles may sometimes be overlooked. By initially limiting the size of Zorro’s circle and gradually expanding its size, Zorro’s mentor had ensured that Zorro would accomplish his goal!
When I set my goals for this marvelous new year, I’m keeping the Zorro Circle in mind. My goals will be challenging but obtainable! I am going to keep my circles large enough so I must stretch and small enough so that I can advance to a larger circle!
As you set goals for the new year, whether they are goals for home, work, or self, ensure that they are reasonable and obtainable!
Less stress, more happiness!
Orange Sprinkles!
