goals « ((little fat notebook))

Posts Tagged ‘goals’

Our goals in life

laelene Posted in mba，Tags: future, goals, mba, questions, thoughts, work

18 March 2018

What am I striving for?

For awhile now, I’ve lost a lot of sense of my direction and purpose in life. I’m not sure where I’m trying to go or what I’m trying to do anymore. It’s extremely disorienting and befuddling. Like being washed beneath a wave and not knowing which direction is up…

After months of struggling with this sense of confusion and suffering quite a bit of angst over it, I’m starting to get my bearings a little. But every time I think I’m about to gain footing, I find myself slipping a little. So I’m hesitant. Hesitant to build up my own confidence in myself, because I don’t feel like I know myself anymore.

What is it that shapes our goals in life? As a child, it was easy. There were expectations of me to go through the typical rites of passage: various phases of schooling, graduate, get a diploma, next step, graduate, get a degree, next step, graduate, get a job… and finally, go back to school for the dream that formed on a basketball court back in Henry H. Wells Middle School – that MBA.

And so here I am, finally getting that MBA. Now what? Get that big fancy job, earn some six-figure salary, and start a family? Is that what life is about? Is that what I want? I’m really not sure.

So again, I question: what is it that shapes our goals in life? Now that I’ve been an adult for nearly a decade and a half, I’m finally begun to wonder how much of those goals, those dreams, are mine. Have I truly taken the time to discern what matters to me? Really all of what I expected and wanted has been from external factors. It’s not that I’m not interested in them. But what’s truly inside of me? What would I do if the world weren’t there to push me along?

These are the kinds of questions I’m muddling my way through. I’m glad that I have a bit of an anchor now in my work with a startup, which is at once thrilling and intriguing to me. It’s not at all where I thought my MBA program would lead me, but it’s so much better. I’ve never quite fit the mold and here I get the opportunity to create my own. How incredible is that? All the while I’m learning and growing too.

As I cling to that bit of sanity, I wonder – now what is it exactly that I’m trying to achieve with my life, personally and professionally? It’s a big question to tackle and I’m trying to be ok with having a fuzzy answer. It’s hard because I’ve been driving towards a clear destination on a relatively paved road and suddenly I’ve veered off and I’m not sure I should be on that road. Should I start walking into the field instead? Should I drive onto another road? All I know is that I feel the need to do something; I certainly can’t languish here.

After all this babbling, I’m not sure how much I make sense or how cryptic I might be. I guess this reflects the lack of direction I generally feel in my unpredictable life right now. Everything is up in the air. I wonder what will catch me.

Giveaway announcement!

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: achievements, announcement, blogging, free stuff, giveaways, goals, prizes, products

26 January 2014

Why hello you lovely reader!

Guess what?! You’ve helped me achieve my goal of reaching an Alexa rank better than 1 million!!! Yup, that’s right, I’m finally in the 6-digit territory now. As of Friday I noticed it and I’m thrilled. I’ve been tracking my progress since I decided to bring my rank up back at the end of April 2013. On 4/25/13, I was at 7,187,608. Within four months I’d made it to the 1.something millions. For the past five months I’ve been hovering in between 1 to 2 million, never quite making it below the mark… until now!

So, to celebrate I thought I’d do my very first giveaway! 🙂 Who doesn’t like a giveaway, right? Give me a little time to put some things together and I’ll post it up. Let me know if you have any suggestions – should I do one massive giveaway or a series of smaller ones? What types of stuff would you want? Of course there will be beauty and skincare items and some snacks because I have plenty of those to share, but what else? I do have some tech accessories I can include too. If you have an opinion, do share and I’ll see what I can do.

Thanks for reading & check back soon. 😀

If money was no object

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: career, cats, childhood, dreams, events, experiences, future, goals, gogobot, job, pictures, shelter, work

18 June 2013

At the Gogobot 500 Days of Summer event, I was chatting with a friend (who also happens to be my great great greatx8 grand lil bro – yeah, random) when she asked me what I would do if I didn’t have to make money. This was in the context of what job/career you’d go for if you could do it just for fun. Of course there is plenty of non-work stuff you can do if you had all the money in the world, but that’s a discussion for another time!

My answer? I’d run a cat shelter. A no-kill one, of course (except maybe in the case of a really sick feline).

Yeah, that was not what she was expecting! She was thinking more along the lines of a singer or something… but I stand by my choice! If I didn’t have to worry about money I would focus my energy on creating a safe environment for a ton of cats. I’d try to adopt them out to good families as much as possible, but I would keep them their entire lives if they never got a chance to leave. I’d keep them in a large house with just a few cages for special purposes, but generally they’d be free to roam through the rooms as they pleased. This would help them socialize with each other and get used to moving around a home with people coming in and out too. I’d want to have space for people to stay overnight too, whether it was staffers or prospective pet parents (though that could get complicated). After all, the best way for people to find the cat they want is to see them in as similar a habitat as they’d have once they take them home.

I guess my goals have always been a bit different. When I was a kid, I didn’t dream of being famous or being some high-powered attorney/judge/doctor/CEO. No, one of the jobs I really liked was being a school bus driver. Why? So I could give treats to the kids and brighten their day. That might have worked back in the day, but nowadays I don’t think it would fly. I mean, would you let your kid take candy from the bus driver? Maybe not. I wanted to be an elementary school teacher for similar reasons. I will always remember Mrs. Stewie, who had a magical drawer of candy that she’d open up once a month and let us “buy” candy from. We got money stamped onto homework and tests that we did well on, which we collected to use for “purchasing” treats from her.

If you could have any job in the world, without worrying about income, what would you want to do?

Introducing 365great

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: 365great, goals, ideas, pictures, products, project, services, sharing

15 March 2013

Something great, every day.

Whether it’s a fresh idea, a wonderful company/brand, or an awesome experience – I’m challenging myself to my own version of a 365 photo project by posting about some of the wonderful things I come across every single day. As I mentioned in my recent post, great things are abound and I’d love to share what I find to be wonderful things and thoughts. Some of it might blow you away and some of it might just make you muse. A lot of it will probably be as simple as appreciating the little things in life!

Whatever the case, I’ll aim to not only share that great thing of the day, but pair it with an image. After all, people love pictures, so what better way to share ideas than using both the power of words and images?

I invite you to join me if you’re just as passionate about greatness in our world (and in particular, sharing it). Use whichever medium of sharing you like best, but put those wonderful thoughts out in the world and let’s all learn from each other. If you want to share on social media forums, use the hashtag #365great so we can find your “sharings” easily. Find my postings across these sites:

on Facebook at the 365great page
on this blog under the “365great” category
on Instagram as laelene, where I also attempt other photo a day challenges
on my 365great Pinterest board
on Tumblr, with a collection of random snippets I call “snipplets”
on Flickr in my 365great set
on the Twitterverse as laelene, interspersed with other tweets

And if you decide to join in, I’d be more than happy to connect through the Facebook page, create a collaborative Pinterest board, or interact on other sites. Just let me know and I’ll create it!

Here’s a running list of all the things I find great:

MARCH
03.15.13 Day 1 – Fleksy [typing without looking!]
03.16.13 Day 2 – Yuzen [bringing you zen in a box :)]
03.17.13 Day 3 – TED [sharing ideas worth spreading]
03.18.13 Day 4 – Squishable [giant balls of squishy love]
03.19.13 Day 5 – BzzAgent [a hassle-free sampling program]
03.20.13 Day 6 – shea-infused socks [novel, cute, and soft footwear]
03.21.13 Day 7 – Girl Scout Cookies [delicious treats & a lesson in business]
03.22.13 Day 8 – cats! [my furry favorites]
03.23.13 Day 9 – touchscreen gloves [saving you from frostbite]
03.24.13 Day 10 – aromatherapy [tapping into the power of smell]
03.25.13 Day 11 – snow [a gorgeous and magical bit of weather]
03.26.13 Day 12 – Coursera [bringing education online for free via MOOCs]
03.27.13 Day 13 – notebooks [helping you capture inspiration as it strikes]
03.28.13 Day 14 – sea monkeys [cheap and entertaining low-maintenance pets]
03.29.13 Day 15 – Daily Grommet [delightful finds carefully curated for you]
03.30.13 Day 16 – massage oils [pampering skin hydration w/o greasy residue]
03.31.13 Day 17 – photo challenges [opening up a world of creativity]

APRIL
04.01.13 Day 18 – dust plugs [pretty and practical accessories for your device]
04.02.13 Day 19 – cupcake in a jar [delicious, compact, and oh so fun]
04.03.13 Day 20 – packages [doesn’t the thought just make you smile?]
04.04.13 Day 21 – bb cream [turning 5 beauty steps into 1]
04.05.13 Day 22 – marinated mushrooms [tart morsels of delight]
04.06.13 Day 23 – handmade [personalized & made with care]
04.07.13 Day 24 – Korean BBQ [tasty all-you-can-eat]
04.08.13 Day 25 – foaming cleansers [making cleaning your skin fun]
04.09.13 Day 26 – scented pens [colorful, playful, and oh-so-wonderful-smelling]
04.10.13 Day 27 – micro-entrepreneurism [empowering anyone to work flexibly]
04.11.13 Day 28 – eos [uniquely-shaped natural skincare products]
04.12.13 Day 29 – Teatulia [eco-conscious, socially responsible tea]
04.13.13 Day 30 – kaolin clay [soothing, gentle impurity & oil absorber]
04.14.13 Day 31 – freshly baked [mouthwateringly wonderful and warm]
04.15.13 Day 32 – body pillows [amazing to snuggle with for a toasty time]
04.16.13 Day 33 – dry erase boards [reusable office tool great for lists]
04.17.13 Day 34 – spring [a lovely season of renewal]
04.18.13 Day 35 – LUSH [fresh & delicious-looking skincare]
04.19.13 Day 36 – plasma balls [sweet science in action!]
04.20.13 Day 37 – terrariums [mini living sculptures of nature]
04.21.13 Day 38 – 1 Second Everyday [awesome app to record a second of each day]
04.22.13 Day 39 – nature [bringing beauty and peace to our daily lives]
04.23.13 Day 40 – TBD [tune in tomorrow!]

Positive change

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: career, future, goals, work

03 January 2013

So far 2013 has been off to a strong start. My overarching goal is to focus more. That means fewer distractions that waste my time (like watching shows and playing games) and more effort towards making my dreams a reality. To start with, I’ve been working on cutting out the useless parts of my life that have slowly taken over much of my time in the past couple of months. I’m working on getting up every day at a regular time, getting some work and cleaning done, and eating and showering “on time” (kinda).

While it’s only been three days (what?!), I’m doing well; I’ve been productive each day and tidied up the house bit by bit. I’ve gotten some work done for my websites and/or eBay each day whereas in previous weeks I probably would have put it off to another day. Now when I think of something, I get to it right away, before I lose motivation or forget about it. The same thing goes with household chores – instead of leaving things lying around, I’m picking them up, putting them away, and organizing as needed.

So far I’m feeling good about my motivation levels, which I was definitely struggling with more recently. As I start to get used to this new, more healthy routine, I’m going to add more demanding goals, like really buckling down to decide what direction I want my professional development to go. Part of this effort will involve reading some books for ideas and inspiration. I had started to do that when I first left my job last year, but then it dwindled. I think if I learn about how others made it work, I’ll feel better about my own prospects. After all, every day we see successful businesses around us – why can’t one of those be run by me?

The marathon obsession

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: exercise, goals, observation, opinion

06 February 2010

Besides travel the world and skydiving, I’d say that running a marathon tops everyone’s “to do” list (or for the more ambitious, perhaps a triathlon). Why? What’s the draw? I don’t quite understand it, because to me, marathons hold no interest. Then again, I’m not as into endurance sports as most people seem to be; rather, I prefer sprinting and strength exercises. Plus, I much prefer being in water than jolting my knees on land.

It seems that marathons have become a rite of passage. Much like the Greek system has a pledging process, during which pledges undergo certain challenges to prove they deserve to become a brother or sister in the organization, marathons (and training for them) seem to be a process people go through to be inducted to an unofficial club of sorts. Ultimately it’s more about bragging rights and being able to say that you’ve run a marathon than just being healthy or running for enjoyment. In fact, most people who run marathons find it excruciatingly painful and just barely finish their first few. But it’s one of those things that’s hard enough that people respect you for doing it, yet easy enough that just about anyone can do it, so long as they set their minds to it.

Running comes pretty easily to just about everyone who isn’t confined to a wheelchair. It’s a natural thing humans do, and though techniques vary, the skill isn’t really hard to pick up. Other things like swimming are harder for people to pick up, which is why I think triathlons are things that only more elite athletes go for. The average Joe finds learning to swim and bike, then having to compete in those on top of running just a bit too hard. That’s my theory on why marathons make the list while triathlons get far less attention. Marathons are a good middle ground between not doing anything physically challenging and going for a triathlon.

I’ve never gotten into them and may never attempt a marathon. That accomplishment just doesn’t mean as much to me. I’d rather be able to hold static exercises for longer, be able to pump more weights, or do endurance stuff submerged in water. I’ve never been a great fan of cardio exercises. I like strength and agility more. So though I’d love to go ocean swimming, I don’t feel the need to prove myself by swimming the English Channel. I guess that’s why I loved swimming the butterfly stroke and doing long and triple jump. There’s a lot more skill involved in addition to the strength and power you need to do those events. I’d also love to become a better shot with a pistol, revolver, rifle, and maybe even a bow and arrow. Oh, and traveling the world and skydiving are definitely on my “to do” list. But marathons? They just aren’t my thing.

Small and simple does the trick

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: advice, future, goals, health, observation, panda, toys

11 January 2010

I’m sure that many people have promised themselves that this is the year they will get fit. And just a week and a half into the year, most are probably doing alright with that goal. However, as weeks drag on to months, it gets harder to stick with it. It’s like the opposite of going cold turkey, whatever that may be. Suddenly trying to pick up a behavior is just as hard as trying to quit an addictive one. The process tends to work better when it’s done gradually or less drastically.

That’s one of the reason why pedometers are doing so well! People walk all the time, so doing a little more throughout your day doesn’t kill you and make you want to quit your new fitness regimen. Plus, having the number staring up at you makes things a lot easier to track. When you have small, measurable goals that you can easily track, it makes staying on target so much easier than the “I did 5 sets of 10 reps but I don’t see a difference” approach. Personally, I love the weight room, but I can see how it’s not the best way for people to get in shape. After all, strength training is more focused on building muscles than building a figure.

So in the following weeks, if you find yourself having trouble reaching your goals for the year, make a list of small actionable items to do, one at a time. This goes for anything from health resolutions to general goals, like that book you’ve been meaning to read, that book you’ve been meaning to write, or the friend you’ve been meaning to catch up with. Start with the basics – read a page, write a paragraph, send a text. And of course, don’t forget to just keep walking! You can build momentum step by step and soon enough you’ll climb your way up those mountains.

Now if only I could find my Pikachu pedometer… (story for another day, when I actually find it or determine it lost forever).

[update jan.12.2010] Oh my gosh! Panda showed me the link above and I was shocked to find this is something that was actually known (maybe even popular?) in the States! Mine came from China, so I figured it was this obscure thing…

2010

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: future, goals, pictures, social media, work

01 January 2010

A new year, a new decade. I haven’t thought much about resolutions, but here are some things I’ve been working on:

~getting a job. This is definitely the year I get one. Let’s just hope it’s sooner rather than later. I’ve definitely got a great lead right now! I’m pretty confident that I won one of the 5 interviews that Vidli is giving out for their Social Media Expert. Here was my blog entry about it. The competition is now closed and results are coming out today or tomorrow!

~electronically organize my life with Evernote, reQall, Dropbox, Skydrive, Live Mesh, or something along those lines… I just started using Evernote after getting it in October and I want to make a habit of uploading things so I can access information from anywhere with the internet. I’ve been using reQall to help me remember things. Too bad I’d have to pay to link the two accounts. I’m still trying to figure out what to use for what between Dropbox, Skydrive, Live Mesh, and others similar to them.

~start giving out my Google Voice number exclusively. This way it doesn’t matter what my number changes to in the future, people can always find me.

~use my mary@maryqin.com e-mail as the primary contact. I’ve been reluctant to in case I stop using my website, but I’ll probably always keep it and just use it for different reasons over the years. Plus if I use that e-mail, it will be an added incentive to keep my site going.

~begin sprinkling in some video blogging. I’ve done pure text blogging, then posts with pictures, and added in photo blogging. Now it’s time for the next stage with some video, whether of me talking, something interested I filmed, or (in the way future) something I edited together.

This will also be the year that I figure out what my life will be like more or less for the next couple of years. As soon as I get that job, I want to start creating a routine. Figure out when and where I can work out. Look into a physical therapist, chiropractor, or masseuse to help with my weak back. Go visit the dentist after way too long! Think about my next step in education – maybe take some online or night classes in the years leading up to that MBA. Save up for emergencies, future investments, and other such important items. Find a routine that fits Panda in frequently (which will of course change as soon as he starts working!). And then I’ll know how I can work my social life around that. 🙂

It’s a year of big change and I’ve been more than ready for awhile now. So here’s to 2010!

The entrepreneurial bug

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: business, future, goals, observation, passion, work

14 December 2009

I’ve been speaking to a lot of entrepreneurs lately and it’s really exciting to hear all the fun, interesting, and innovative ideas they have! Most are still in early development, so I can’t share what they are, but I would like to say that there’s a certain theme running through it all – a need to make things better. Everyone’s focus is in their own area of expertise and passion, which makes for a lot of promising businesses to come! I think the great thing about startups is the drive that people have. You can’t survive without a deep level of commitment to the purpose of the company/organization, unlike in large and established corporations, where you can get away with a lack of interest in what the mission actually is.

For me, it’s motivating to see all the hard workers out there making their dreams come true. I’ve got a lot that I’d like to make a reality within the next decade and I’m going to start on at least one of them by the time I’m 30. That’s a promise to myself, and something to make myself accountable for. One piece of advice I got was to set real, concrete deadlines and that’s exactly what I’m working on. Too often I like to leave a way out by saying, “sometime around” or “in the next 5-10 years,” giving myself enough leeway to perhaps not quite make it happen. So I’m going to change my mentality and decide that I am and I will. No more of that I hope and I want business. It’s going to be how I choose to make it to be.

At times I was doubtful that I had an entrepreneurial enough spirit to be an entrepreneur, but now that I see those out there, I’ve got no doubt in my mind that I have the passion, drive, creativity, and intelligence to do so. The important thing is setting my mind to it and then going full force. That’s not a problem for me – I decided I wanted to start my own business when I was in middle school and that desire has yet to change. I’ve definitely gotten bitten by the entrepreneurial, if there is such a thing, and I’m excited to develop my plans over the years as I ready myself professionally and personally to handle the tasks I’ll need to for my aspirations to become real.

It’s been consuming my thoughts!

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((little fat notebook))

Posts Tagged ‘goals’

Our goals in life

Giveaway announcement!

If money was no object

Positive change

The marathon obsession

Small and simple does the trick

The entrepreneurial bug

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laelene

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