Goals -- Whaddya Mean You Ain't Got None?

According to an oft-quoted study by the Harvard School of Business, only 3 in 10 adults have written goals. Which category do you fit into, those with or those without? (For our Philly friends..hehe)

Goals fall into three basic categories:

Short Term (3 mos.-1yr)

Midrange (1-5yrs)

Long Term (5-10yrs+)

These basic goal types can be further broken down into the various facets of life:

Personal

Career

Relationship

Financial

Of course, these can (and should) be broken down into more and more specific categories/tasks as they are identified. So why are having goals important?

"If you don't know where you're going, you might not ever get there!" (Yogi Berra)

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I can hear you guys wincing already, "But that sounds like a whole lot of work, Walt. I just don't have the time. Besides, things are going OK as they are -- I've done pretty well for myself up to this point!" Or maybe you would like to inject some extra rocket fuel for your life's journey. Getting started is easy -- here's how:

Grab a pencil and paper and go find a quiet spot in your home where you can be undisturbed for 30 minutes. Get yourself and egg timer, if you have to. READY, SET... WRITE!

The goal is to write 100 goals, of all kinds, in the next 30 minutes. Let your imagination run wild; Think of this like a list of the things which you want most in life. Essentially, write down your "Dream Life." Consider the list a work in progress, as each day passes, you'll think of things you'd like to add -- include them. Next post, we'll discuss what to do with your list.

Until then, HAVE FUN!

Civic Duty (Pt. 2)

If there was anything else interesting about my Jury Duty experience, it seems to have slipped my mind!

Suffice to say that I was eliminated even before the "voir dire" phase, where the judge and lawyers question prospective jurors, and sadly so. This was a result of a random drawing of numbers prior to entering the courtroom; Only numbers 1-14 were called as prospects, the rest of us were invited to watch the proceedings until being formally excused by the judge, who was pushing 80 (and still pretty sprightly.)

Even so, I was glad to have been a part of the process, and earned the whopping sum of $42.88 for my service. Which, when you break it down, means I earned $28.59/hr -- not bad for a gig which doesn't really require any specialized skills!

Civic Duty

Last month I had received an invitation in the mail and thought, "Surely, it's a bit early for holiday party invites!" But this was to a party of another kind -- Jury Duty. Actually, it wasn't so much an invitation as a summons, and this one was from U.S. District (Federal) Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. They have a lovely facility here in downtown Scranton, which you can see HERE.

Now, I've heard people moan and groan about such an event, but I was excited. After all, I've never sat on a jury of any kind before and was curious to see what kinds of cases come through the District Courts. Call me an idealist, but I really believe that such assignments are an integral part of the judicial system, and consider them to be the duty of all citizens. Already, my attendance had been postponed the week before, so perhaps this too served to heighten the much-andticipated event.

Well, today was finally the day! I reported (excitedly) to the courthouse this morning and experienced some of the pre-trial preparations. I'll post more about the entire experience tomorrow, but suffice to say it was informative and not at all boring. The prospective jurors were there for less than an hour before the proceedings began, and the actual preliminaries lasted maybe another 45 minutes.

Got Gas?

Courtesy of our friend Legends of the Drunken Master:

Egg-xistential

It never ceases to amaze me what you can find online. This morning, while searching for a recipe for the perfect hard-boiled egg (mine never seem to peel as easily as they should), I found out about the nice folks at the Georgia Egg Commission.

At first, I became a little nervous, wondering if the people of the great State of Georgia prepare their eggs under threat of sanction by the 'Egg Police', or if they just have a love of eggs unheard of in common hours. My suspicions were allayed, albeit only slightly, when I found the "Helpful Tips" link which contains several recipes for hardboiled eggs.

1983

Need I say any more...???

Sideways

For several months now, I've been staring at a DVD I borrowed and hadn't yet watched; 'Sideways'. I was pleasantly surprised when I (finally) decided to watch it earlier today. It's a subtle film in many ways, and not-so-subtle in others, but enjoyable nonetheless. The film has a relentless melancholy which was brought to bear by the substantial acting chops of Paul Giamatti, who is at his heart-wrenching best in several scenes -- particularly near the end of the film when he dines alone at a local fast food joint.

If you are interested in a really smart, hip little film which oozes humanity, this should be your top pick. Wine enthusiasts will also have some interest in the underlying plot and how it relates to the central themes of personal evolution and redemption.

Long Ago And Far Away

The internet is a wondrous place! But you guys already knew that, didn't ya? I have recently re-connected with two good friends from --- yes that's right --- "The Good Old Days!" It's interesting how when you begin reminiscing, you're instantly transported to that era, as though by some magical time-travel machine. (Maybe I'm just thinking of those famous movies from the '80s?) Suddenly all the senses are alive in another reality, and you can hear the sounds, see the sights, and smell the scents as though you were there again. Sometimes it's fun, sometimes not. But in both these cases, it's definitely FUN. Check out my friend Tara's blog. Her's is a blog to which I now only aspire.