just wanted to share...

this layout that Kim did for Prompt 7.

her journaling reads: I have started on the journey, I am working out again, back on the treadmill, trying for 5 days a week, building confidence each day, one step at a time, one day at a time, on the journey for a lifetime.

Thanks for joining us, Kim! Good luck and make sure you let us know how it goes.

Prompt 8

For the past 3-4 prompts we have been working towards goals. goals, goals and more goals! i am a firm believer that you can never have too many but the idea is to make them attainable. reaching for the stars is one thing but making every goal you have so huge, you will eventually give up and be dissapointed. so small steps towards achievable goals is what we have been doing and it is working.

for this prompt, we want you to scrap the goals you have reached so far! yes, you heard me right. our 5 months are almost up and we want to see progress. if you haven't reached any yet than scrap a goal you have met in the past and you are prowd of or scrap your progress you have made toward a goal you have right now.

here is what we have done:

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Lisa:


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Sasha:


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Ellen:

i used a little symbolism here...since i got a job teaching through the state, i thought {with some help from Lisa, that a photo of an apple would be perfect. and i had my son model it for me since he told me he was glad i was going to teach b/c teachers are smart and dress nice.

let's welcome....

I just wanted to share some news with everyone....

the amazingly talented and inspiration Lisa T. Howard has joined us...i am not sure if you have been to her blog but if you haven't been there...you should. she has a way with words that  i have never seen before.  

people visit her blog just to "hear her voice".  and when i say that, i mean her words come off the page like she is talking to you.  we found out we had a lot in common and i am not sure if that is good or bad for either of us...but i found her talking a lot about the things we do on this blog...the future, goals, we were are in the world now versus where we want to be....

i find so much inspiration at her blog  so .... stay tuned for her inspiration with us here on the Forward Progress blog. 

Prompt 7

We have been talking {scrapping} a lot about goals and what our goals will be in the next few months, 1 year and 5 years...

with all that, it has me thinking...even with these goals..what specific things can you do to shape your future? and if you do these things...where do you think you will be in 10 years? if you meet all the goals we have been talking about...where will that put you in your life specifically in 10 years. maybe you need specific goals to get you there or you can work off of the last goal set we did last prompt....

Will you live in the same town? Will you have the same job? Will your kids still be in school or maybe you will homeschool them b/c you met a financial goal?

the idea is to ENVISION your life and what it will be like specifically not just, " i want to be happy" what goals will you acheive to ensure your happiness? will you have to supercede your 5 year goals? i know...we gotta think about this one!!! ;)

This is what i came up with.....

Prompt 6

Now that we are working on 5 short term goals it is time to focus on long term goals. This month prompt is to get 10 goals for yourself in the next year. YES! 10, it may seem like a lot but keep in mind, we are already on our way with 5. So, you can look at it as making 10 new ones or keeping your 5 if you aren't there yet and adding 5 more. In my case, I have completed 2 goals so i will need to come up with 8.

I hope everyone is as excited as I am to be working on these goals and making progress. It just amazes me how you can hold yourself accountable when you write it down.


Staci's:


Journaling:
My goals for the next year: By August 2009 - start a garden (started indoors 2/09, to be transferred outdoors when blossoming), lose 10 pounds (working on it), finish Twilight book series (on Book 3), continue to have lots of silly moments with my kids (on-going), do weekly menu planning (haven't started); By April 2010 - organize basement, sew a camera strap, purge magazines, file layouts in albums, blog at least 3x/week, go through old toys and sell what is no longer being used.

Greta's:

I added to my already 5 goals. I have been wanting to finally do the stuff around my house and now that the weather is warming up i have spring cleaning fever.

Journaling:
my previous 5:
Lose weight- down 5 pounds
get organized- in progress
clip coupons-done and still doing
read more books- 5 more down on my list
get a bike and ride it- not yet
new list:
repaint whole house-in progress already
replace cabinet doors:
replace countertops:
get landscaping done:
work on me as a whole: this is going to take a whole lot of work ;)


Elizabeth's



i'm sad to report that i really haven't crossed anything off of my previous list (but i'm working on it) so i added five more things to do before this time next year.

my long term goals:

1. have a successful garden and cook from it.
2. plan a disney trip.
3. start a game night.
4. learn a new skill or hobby.
5. landscape the yard

as soon as i get some things crossed off, i'll update y'all :)

Ellen's

I made a journal for mine. This way i can document my progress on each one. since i am still working on a few from last month, i just included them in here. I made a page for each one so i can just stuff down and CROSS THEM OFF! ;) i am happy to report that i am doing well towards my 5 month goals!

*Plant a garden {WIP}
*Get a teaching job at a local university {WIP}
*Get out & meet some neighbors
*Run a 5k {WIP}
*Lose 15 lbs. {WIP}
*Take a class
*Get all the rooms painted in the house {bought paint yesterday!}
*Stay debt free
*Find an organization to volunteer
*Make one new friend
*Continue to create for myself
*continue to work on controlling my anger

All I can say is wow. We are so psyched to have so many followers! i see you guys hitting the site so pls leave us a comment so we can visit your blog. we love to go visiting and see what ya'll are up too!

....are you ready for this month's prompt? It is coming up soon...remember...this one will be the second part of a three part challenge so get your 5 for 5 down.

I have to tell you! GETTING YOUR GOALS ON PAPER IS SO IMPORTANT AND WORTH IT. I have checked in with the girls and they have been making progress with theirs.

So for mine, i have:
ONE) Started running for my 5k AND got the scrubster to start exercising with me!!!
TWO) Put in 1 app for a teaching position at a loca university {not a chance in you-know-where i would get it BUT i did it} AND today i went to a career fair and got the name of a the person to talk to at a local community college that teaches associates degrees AND would pay for me to get my Ph.D!
THREE) started my garden...EASY!
FOUR) handed my paperwork in on time TWO pay periods in a row! woot woot
FIVE) chatted with a neighbor AND she has a photography business!

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE! i cannot stress enough to you how this can be life changing for you to document your goals and move forward in your life.

On another note....

Check out this cool layout Crystal did for this month's prompt!

5 in 5 {Prompt 5}

We have been behind the scenes talking about the things in the future that we want to work on and we came to the conclusion to do a 3 part prompt. Since we are working on the future and bettering ourselves...what better way to do that than with Goal Management. ONLY WE ARE IN CHARGE OF OUR DESTINY. yes, things may happen to alter our path, but only we have the power to reach our goals. AND if we write them down, we can then hold ourselves accountable for them. AND we need to have realistic goals. Ones that we can reach and they should be specific. This allows us to be more accountable. Who wants a goal that they can't reach? We only leave ourselves open to failure.

First...{today's prompt} we are going to be focusing on short term goals short term like 5 things in 5 months...

THEN {april's prompt} we are going to be focusing on Intermediate and THEN {may's prompt} we will be focusing on long term goals.

We will have more specifics on the latter of the two when that month rolls around so stay tuned for that. But we wanted to give you an idea of where we were going and what was going on in the crazy brains of ours.

So let's see what the girls have been up too....

Our Short Term Goals....

Greta's:

Using the Nightingale Kit from Noel Mignon. I wanted to list these goals down so i can have a constant reminder of the things I want to do in the next 5 months. Especially buy a bike and start riding now that it is warm weather. (In my neck of the wood anyway)

Sasha's

I used the Fashionista line from Graphic 45 to make a fun LO about my goals in 5 months and what will or should be happening to me around that time frame.

... Elijah will be starting Kindergarten

... I hope I still have my sanity

... I will reach my weight loss goal

... I hope to still be creating for ME

... I will be closer to hugging my hubs

Staci's:

(All products used are Fancy Pants)

Elizabeth's

i did mine more like a to*do list with boxes to check off when accomplished and a space for me to jot the date down when i accomplished them! i love to*do lists and figured this would encourage me to do the things on the list just to cross them off! lmao!

Ellen's

journaling:

1. run a 5k (any time will do)

2. plant a garden. AND have it flourish. (sees are started & some harveted).

3. to land a teaching job @ a local community college or enroll for more classes.

4. make friends with some of our neighbors.

5. consistently get my paperwork on time.