2010 Goals - Do you have any??? If not, how about making some???

[rose.winter1980]

I received news of one of my goals very recently.  I completed law school and now have a training contract with a law firm.  Not too easy to come by in these straitened times, so I feel very lucky. I leave my job at the end of July and begin work almost straight away.  My DH has made me an appointment with his tailor to have two new suits made.  My children have bought me a briefcase.   They all think  that I should look like a "proper lawyer".   Well, all that hard work, getting up early/staying up late and cramming has paid off.  Never let anyone tell you that you are "too old" to start a new career.  Hopefully, when my training contract finishes, and if I'm successful, The Authorities will let me loose on the unsuspecting public.  ROFLOL.

The other goal I have, is to learn Microsoft Office thoroughly.

At the moment, all I want to do is sleep. I feel as though I haven't slept properly for a year. 

[gee4]

Well done Rose, enjoy!  Don't forget...MOS, MOS, MOS!!! 

My one goal is to get through to next Thur before I go on holiday and not have to deal with any more dithering, incompetent, idiotic people! 

[msmarieh]

Congratulations Rose! That's wonderful and such a fabulous accomplishment!

[Cathy S]

So here is my update number 2 ... such as it is!

Today I interviewed for and have been offered a new role - Telecare Project Coordinator.  It is a one year contract but it is the stepping stone I need to focus my career and use my skills more effectively - so:

Not one of the goals per se - but I already know one year has been stretched to two!

Contract for second year in preparation and we aren't halfway through the first!

• Make a solid start in my new role - gain full understanding of the detail of the project and put in progress the key actions;

Seven weeks in post and today I presented a status report on the project to a 2 hour Board meeting.  I haven't got the full 100% understanding but I have certainly established my presence and a reputation for being knowledgeable and achieving a united team.

Well this project is like Topsy and just keeps right on growing ... everytime I follow a lead I uncover the stuff that someone else brushed under the rug.

However I now have the skeleton of our long term strategy; have established my credibility in a new field; and have set in motion all the key strands that had been sidelined.

• Gain a Project Management qualification - I have the skill and experience but the qualification would be a valuable addition and I need the challenge of learning again

No I haven't got the qualification YET ... my excuse? too busy? what I have achieved is that I won't be paying for it as intended ... I actually have two offers of funding on the table as I type ... very nice position to be in.

Will start looking for courses for this during next three months and look to start Autumn or Spring.  I have made a strategic connection with our IT Manager who is looking at his and his teams development plan and we can provide development opportunities to each other and broaden the scope for us all.

• In 2009 I had developing my coaching skills as a goal ... largely as a result of this I have been very humbled by the support and encouragement that I have received over the past few months and the solid friendships which have arisen from this.  This is an area I aim to continue working at in 2010

Around half of my time at the moment in the office is coaching and influencing change ...

This continues and in fact will become more formal over the next three months since we now need to train 500 staff (20 at a time for half a day) and out Trainer will not be able to sustain this load on her own so I will share it.

In the immediate day or so my sole goal is to occupy next door's Labrador while they are having their first Baby ... on the face of it I am glad not to be back at that stage in my life ...

You are probably more intrigued by this one than the rest ... was I glad to see the back of that dog? you bet!  I didn't succeed completely at occupying her ... but I did achieve the status of 'I'm in charge' this at 11pm when she was trying to get into my bed ... "dog - on that mat, lie down and don't try breaking into my room again!" shut door rather forcefully.  She slept like a baby after that!

Thankfully the dog has safely settled back home and our home has returned to the tranquil and calm that we are used to .... ahhhh bliss!

Cathy

[Cathy S]

I received news of one of my goals very recently.  I completed law school and now have a training contract with a law firm.  

Congratulations Rose - that is an amazing achievement and you must feel very proud.

My DH has made me an appointment with his tailor to have two new suits made.  My children have bought me a briefcase.   They all think  that I should look like a "proper lawyer". 

Pleased to hear it ... they should be proud of you too

Well, all that hard work, getting up early/staying up late and cramming has paid off.  Never let anyone tell you that you are "too old" to start a new career.  Hopefully, when my training contract finishes, and if I'm successful, The Authorities will let me loose on the unsuspecting public. 

Absolutely true and you will be successful.  Do you have a specialist area you want to focus on or is it too early to say?

...ROFLOL.

Hmmm ... may I suggest this is perhaps not the thing to do in your new office? just at home! but perhaps not i your new suits ...

I so look forward to hearing how you get on ...

Best wishes

Cathy

[rose.winter1980]

Thank you, everyone.

I have my appointment to be measured up for my new clothes in my diary for next week, which is exciting. 

Cathy: I will see what happens in my "live" training.  It's very early days indeed, but I rather think I would like to specialize in private client work, which will give me plenty of scope for the future.   

We are recruiting my successor now in my current post.  All the applicants are women and some are outstanding.  I promise to tell "the next Rose" about DD. 

We have our company AGM coming up and two meetings of our Board before I leave. I have to sort out the filing system (long, on-going project) and do lots of general housekeeping.  I want things to be ship-shape before Rose Mark II starts work. 

I shall be exhausted come the end of July.

Best wishes,

Rose

[msmarieh]

4) Publish an article in OfficePro magazine, as discussed with the editor. Still planning to do this and I have an article started. Susan, I am thinking I will submit one for AdminAdvantage as well. Need to get the writer's guidelines from you. DONE! I have submitted an article that is planned for publication in OfficePro later this summer and my article on Top Five Tips Why You Need To Update Your Social Networking Sites was published today in the May 2010 issue of AdminAdvantage (http://www.deskdemon.com/adminadvantage/2010/may/pageflip.html)!

Well, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my article for OfficePro magazine (which was originally scheduled to be published in August) actually became the cover article for the July issue.

The topic is Bouncing Back From A Negative Performance Review.

[Cathy S]

Well done Marie ... and a fantastic bonus to be cover story a month ahead of schedule

Cathy

[Jackie G]

Cover story - wow!  well done!

[officepa]

Well done Marie, you must feel great about this 

Can anyone obtain a copy of OfficePro magazine or do you have to be a member?

[msmarieh]

Normally anyone can see the current cover story, but I see it hasn't yet been updated with the July issue. They are probably too swamped getting ready for the annual meeting, which is next week.

[officepa]

This may seem a silly problem but one that is bugging me so...............

Can anyone share how they are actually setting out their goals please?

By that I mean do you have an electronic document with list of headings and update under each one and add new ones as they arise?

I started my list (not for sharing yet I am afraid  ) but am not happy with the format.  I have tried a couple of layouts but not satisfied with them.  They are too fussy and not exciting enough to make me want to keep updating.   They seem to 'bitty'. 

[Cathy S]

I generally like to mindmap mine and then mark progress/completion at intervals.  I usually roll it forward each year and take off the completed bits and add new.  I can add dates and timescales to these too so it works for me in a one page format.  However I know not everyone gets on with mind maps.

However this year I just have the post I added on here ... because everything was changing at the time.

Cathy

[msmarieh]

To be honest, I just post a simple numbered list like I did at the beginning of this post. It's a simple document in Word. Depending on what I am doing it for, I post the same list in multiple places (like here, on my fridge, on my cubicle wall at work, etc.) so that I have a visual reminder of what I should be working on.

I also have the Skills and Accomplishments document that I keep updated as I complete or acheive things. I add a reminder on my outlook to update the list quarterly.

Marie

[officepa]

Thanks for the tips.  I quite like mind mapping - I am a visual person so this would work for me I am sure.  Only problems is, I can see it growing and getting too big!!

I like lists - do lists for everything     so will now plan a mixture of both.