My big picture goal
Set yourself a scary arse goal!
Lots of companies have what they refer to as Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAG - one of my favourite acronyms). For a company this is often the purpose of the company. The BHAG keeps the direction the company wants to grow in.
Within The Elita La Vie Approach you’ll create a similar goal for yourself; a Big Picture Goal. It is there to do exactly the same thing as the BHAG are for companies. To keep you focused on the main thing you want/aspire to. This is your chance to think big. I'm talking about Damehood big.
I wanted to share my Big Picture Goal with you. To give you an idea of how broad or ostentatious you can get with this goal type.
Live to 100 having fun along the way
Let’s break this down.
Part 1: To live until I am 100.
While I have some control over my longevity, it is mostly out of my control if I reach this goal. So I have a caveat. Having a caveat is ok, because it is The Elita La Vie Approach and there are no rules!
My caveat, part 2: To have fun along the way.
I want to live to I am 100. For this reason, I prioritise sleep, do regular exercise and I eat my veggies.
A good sleep is going to help me get to 100 (because of all the lovely health benefits), but it is also going to give me the energy I need to have fun. Therefore, sleep is a 2-4-1 in my opinion!
I can never resist a chance to mention how great sleeping is.
Sleeping, exercising and eating well does not guarantee I get to live to 100, as I also do dangerous things like drive a car on a regular basis. I have almost zero control over my death date, just like I had none over my birth date.
Keeping that in mind, I say my big picture goal is to live to 100, but to have fun along the way. Imagine if I was so focused on living to 100, that I didn’t enjoy life. I would miss out on opportunities, I would be saying no to ice cream (not likely) and I definitely wouldn’t be doing things I love like wild swimming - heaps of danger!
The main reason I want to live to 100 is because I am a big lover of life and I want to have mine for as long as I possibly can.
That being said, it doesn’t really matter if I don’t make it to 100. I don’t want my nearest and dearest crying at my funeral because I only made it to 84. My goal is much more about having a go at life, taking risks, chasing dreams and always always having fun.
A little while back, my life got too serious, so part of my Elita La Vie journey was bringing back the fun and the more adventurous side of me.
This looks like many different things. Nail polish in a bright colour, my husband making me cry with laughter, trying a new extreme sport, spending time with friends, going on holiday, going to the theatre, having a kitchen dance party, being creative, swimming.
Fancy having a go at creating your big picture goal
Think big and broad. This is one goal type where you don’t need to be too specific, but still want to make sure you can define what achieving it looks like.
I can check in each day and make sure I’m on track by asking one very simple question.
Was there a moment for joy today?
Think about what your long term goals are. These will often help shape your big picture goal.
I went through a few iterations before it landed so don’t worry if you think you have it, but it’s not working out or you don’t want it enough to make sacrifices and prioritise it. This just means you aren’t quite there yet.
It’ll come.
Mine works for me now. It sums up who I am and how I want to live, keeps me focused on what I want each day to feel like and it defines what I am working hard for.
Have fun and sleep well,
Charlene Elita x
