2005 Tip #16:
Writing it Down!

When was the last time you wrote it down?

There’s something to be said for writing it down.  It sounds simple, but it’s harder to actually do on a consistent basis. I’ve shared in this forum, that with athletes and teams I’ve coached, I make it a beginning-of-the-season ritual to write down our goals.  The act of writing down our goals and translating our dreams into action plans on paper engenders a kind of focus that goes way beyond just “thinking about it.”

The act of writing forces us to get more specific – our choice of words define the goals in more clear and detailed ways.  When we read what we have written, we can step back and evaluate – “Is that really what I’m aiming at?  Is this really what I’m going to do to get there?”  In a way, writing it down also becomes an act of commitment.  It’s less vague than passing thoughts – “I’ll do this later today or tomorrow” or “I’ll try this new approach to my eating.”  Our written goals become a compact with ourselves.

Sharing these goals with a trusted friend or family member, carrying them with us in our

Calendar, wallet or purse, posting the list of goals on the refrigerator or the mirror we use in the morning – these are all ways to solidify our commitment and keep a better focus.

We’re all very busy, but keeping a journal of what we’re doing to achieve our goals can also be very helpful.  The daily jotting down of even just a few details of what we’ve done to meet the short-term and long-term goals can be a powerful record.  It’s a form of planning and allows us to compare one day and one week to the next.

"Doing the best at this moment

puts you in the best place

for the next moment."  

–Oprah Winfrey

It’s important to live the moment.  It’s also important to reflect on how this moment fits in with our goals.

Even writing it down just a couple of times a week is a big help. 

Tomorrow is the summer solstice and the beginning of summer.  It is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.  It is called the “solstice” because the noonday sun – which has been getting higher and higher – appears to “stand still” in its trajectory across the skies.  Let’s enjoy this new season and “stand still” ourselves long enough to dedicate some time to writing it down.