Thought for today:

If we watch the news, we will see things that bring us down.  If we watch commercials on TV, we may start to feel deprived of the “goodies” they offer – for a price.

Our time is our own.  There is no moral code requiring us to watch news or commercials 24×7.  We are no less patriotic for paying attention to our own lives instead of watching how humankind is misbehaving.

In fact, if we are managing our own business, we are improving the world.  How can we get the balance we need, without neglecting something important?

A member shares:

“I used to be glued to the news.  I’d watch every political drama or tragedy unfold each night.  After a while, it felt unsettling and I had to stop.  I needed to let go of things that I had no control over and which weren’t directly affecting me.  Instead, I had to start being intentional with my personal and professional life.

“I needed to seek a balance in life – where I could live my life without worrying about what everyone else was doing.  Only then could I work to get my finances and time back on track.

“I believe success is no accident.  We are always contributing to our futures, whether we know it or not.  We need to project positive, because thoughts become things.”

Setting goals we can meet 

In quiet times, we can envision personal and business success.  It is best to do this when we can relax.

The November 1981 issue of Management Review contained a paper by George T. Doran.  In it, he outlined Management By Objectives philosophy using the acronym S.M.A.R.T.

To Doran, each of our goals – whether they be personal or business goals, should be…

• Specific – target a specific area for improvement.
• Measurable – quantify or at least suggest an indicator of progress.
• Attainable – assuring that an end can be achieved.
• Realistic – state what results can realistically be achieved, given available resources.
• Time-related – specify when the result(s) can be achieved. *

*Excerpted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_criteria

When we mind our own business and set SMART goals, we can find productivity galore.

Ask:

“Am I minding my business?”

Meditation for today:

“Keep interested in your own career, however humble.  It is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time… With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.”  So says Max Ehrmann, in his Desiderata meditation.

When we pay attention to our own goals, engaging in our lives, we are on the path to prosperity.

Affirmation for today:

“Just for this day, I will live in this moment, right here, right now.  I will set aside my fears of the future and my regrets about the past, accepting everything exactly as it is at this moment.” *

* From DA’s “Just For This Day” bookmark – literature P-129.

If S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting seems interesting to you, try this recommended reading:

S.M.A.R.T. Goals Made Simple – 10 Steps to Master Your Personal and Career Goals (Productive Habits)

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