Later than expected, but here is the next installment of my attempt at

The Simple Dollar's "31 Days to Fixing Your Finances"! I'm going to shoot for a twice-weekly schedule for now and see how things go.

This time, I took the four core values I defined in an earlier post and created goals directly based on those values. This exercise comes in three steps.

Note: I changed my third core value to freedom because I caught myself constantly confusing peace with everything else. When I am aligned with my core values, peace should naturally follow.

Step 1: Ask yourself where you want to be in 25 years in terms of those values.

In my case, this is where I hope I will be when I am 46:

True compassion

-Stronger bonds and warm, honest communication with family (including relatives) and friends
-Less anxiety around strangers and acquaintances, more willingness to grow closer
-Spend most of my time helping others, staying informed
-Outspoken and articulate when defending others and my views

Trust

-Good health
-A good home for myself
-A secure and happy living situation for my parents. I am able to care for them.

Freedom

-Finances in order
-Few material possessions, just what I need
-Content with my physical appearance
-Content with myself, shortcomings and all
-Strong, active spiritual life

Growth

-Still learning every day from everything! Have not stopped being a student
-A much better writer, doesn't matter if I'm published, but have written a lot by now
-A job that keeps me mentally and spiritually stimulated, lots of room for creativity and growth

Step 2: Turn that vision into goals that you want to have fulfilled by that time.

Although the original examples prefaced each goal with "I want to," I changed it to "I will" to benefit from the power of intention. You can try it to see what I mean: say a goal in both ways. Which one sounds stronger?

True compassion

-I will keep regular contact with my family and friends and have established a schedule that works for both of us.
-I will be able to discuss any concerns and problems with mutual respect and clear articulation.
-I will treat everyone warmly and equally with my whole self.
-I will have a job that allows me to serve others and benefit the environment while still having time to write.
-I will understand people from different backgrounds and immerse myself to completely new ways of thinking.
-Corollary: I will travel the world.
-I will assert myself clearly and effectively.

Trust

-I will have healthy levels of cholesterol.
-I will be fit and free of preventable diseases and problems.
-I will be settled down in a warm, inviting home of my own, even if I am still off travelling the world.
-I will be able to provide for my parents' needs, financial and otherwise, in their old age. I WON'T let me live in a nursing home.

Freedom

-I will be totally free of debt and not worry about being able to provide for myself financially.
-I will have only my essential possessions, including what truly makes me happy.
-I will accept and love myself, including physical appearance.
-I will have a strong, active spiritual life.

Growth

-I will still be flexible, open, and humble to all experiences and STILL be a student.
-I will have more power and fulfillment from my writing and have produced a significant amount of work.

Step 3: Where do you want to be in terms of those values in one year?

I misread this one and thought it meant where I wanted to be in terms of the goals I previously listed in one year. I think my results are a lot more specific than what I would have gotten otherwise. I added some goals as an afterthought to include ones that don't quite fit in with the 46 year old me (italicized).

True compassion

-I will have had significant conversations with my father and brother about myself and my future plans. (I am much less closer to them than I am to my mother)
-I will have stopped blowing up at my family and established a habit of conveying my feelings through conversation or writing before a problem occurs or SOON after.
-I will have approached and gotten to know as many as possible of those people on campus I've felt intimidated by for no good reason.
-I will have applied for internships and volunteer programs that emphasize social service for after graduation.
-I will travel for at least a year before settling down with a full-time job (doesn't include above internships and programs).
-I will have completed a course on effective communication skills.
--I will have spent considerable time with people who AREN'T 18-22 year olds from a small private liberal arts college.

Trust

-I will have healthy normal levels of cholesterol.
-I will be able to do 5 laps around the running track without stopping and touch my toes when I stretch.
-I will have a clear idea of how my parents would like to be provided for in the future and what I can do to help.
--I will forgive and accept my ex-boyfriend as he is and maintain a good, genuine friendship with him.

Freedom

-I will have a clear sense of my amount of debt and a schedule and plan of action of getting rid of it as effectively as possible.
-I will have gotten rid of all my unwanted clothes and books and cleaned my junk from the basement.
-I will be able to truthfully tell myself "I love you. You are beautiful." when I feel my worst.
-I will be an active member of at least one spiritual group on campus and have completed my altar.

Growth

-I will have kept a journal of all the things I have learned OUTSIDE of class, and different ways I have applied what I have learned in class OUTSIDE of class.
-I will have completed a senior creative writing project and produced two substantial volumes of work.
-My bonsai tree will still be alive.


Thoughts on the process:

I found this exercise very difficult since my core values and goals have a lot to do with personal growth and relationship health which can be extremely hard to quantify. While I like having lots of concrete goals now, I still want to look at my other goals that don't directly stem from my core values and see where they lie in this scheme of things. I don't think the steps specifically allow for this, so I may follow up on this post with an extra reflection next time.

After that, the next installment will address creating a plan for each goal. Stay tuned and thanks for reading! Let me know what you think so far, even if you're not participating.