HARD Goals

I have some long term goals that have been years in the making. Divorce was one. It might sound strange that I made it a goal, but I had a difficult time getting to 100% sure that it was the right thing to do. I’m happy to say it was. But one change led to another and it became more of a three part process. Essentially it was, without a doubt, a HARD goal. HARD stands for (from the book Hard Goals by Mark Murphy:)

H = HEARTFELT: No matter how evolved we think we are, we are ruled by our emotions. The more emotionally attached we are to our goals, the higher the likelihood that we’ll achieve them.

A = ANIMATED: You won’t be surprised to learn that “vision” is the driver behind achieving your goals. Your brain can’t tell the difference between reality and imagination. The more you replay the “movie” of your vision, the closer you will get to achieve your goal.

R = REQUIRED: The more urgency you have around what you’re working toward, the more likely you are to get it. Maybe obsessive is too strong a word – maybe not.

D = DIFFICULT: There’s a reason we say that necessity is the mother of invention. The greatest achievements come from tough challenges, so don’t shy away from goals that seem out of reach.

After the divorce it became clear that I needed a full time job. It was time to earn a consistent paycheck and get back out there. However there was no “out there” where I lived. Jobs in my field were few and far between. I had a few interviews in six months but I wasn’t happy with the positions. I had to expand my area. Eventually I started interviewing in Portland, Maine, an hour and 45 minutes away. The process got easier. There was more opportunity and the pros were finally outweighing the cons. Within six months of my new job search I found something. Part two, done.

And then I had to move. Housing in the Portland area was tight and expensive. Not to mention I had to transition my two boys, ages 9 and 13. But when it’s meant to be, it falls into place. Within a month we were settled. The boys embraced the change and landed in one of the best school systems in the region. Success!

Now that I can cross all that off my list, and believe me I’m still amazed I pulled it off, I’ve set a new HARD goal. I’m in such a great place in my life and so excited about all the opportunities that surround me. I gained a renewed focus, confidence and energy from my hard work of the past two years.

My SMART goal update: I can remind myself of my accomplishment each morning when I go to the office! I made it past day two with a “Good Morning” to all my coworkers.

#goals #HARD #moving #job #interviews