It's a Thursday that feels like a Make it a Great Monday (MIAGM)

One of Ricky May's best photos ever - Mandalay, Myanmar sunset

Today officially kicks off the first 'workday' of the new decade and the New Year.  I have accepted Beth and Patton's challenge to try Ryan Holiday's 21-day Daily Stoic New Year, New You Challenge. Can you tell I have become a big Ryan Holiday fan?

Today's challenge was to watch the sunrise and the sunset. I took Mom down to Lake Austin (takes one minute from our house) at 7:28AM, but the overcast conditions did not inspire as much as the photo above from Uncle Ricky.

I'll be Westward facing on our back deck for the sunset tonight at 5:42PM. Join me if you can. I just set the alarm for 5:30PM.

Between now and then, I'm 'chunking' (versus sprinkling) some work for Autodesk. What does that mean? Stay tuned . . .

Stay Whole Tuesday - Prepping for the New Year

As we move into 2020 and per our family tradition, I encourage each of you to write down your goals for the year ahead. As usual, I like to think about Stephen Covey's 'Whole Person' concepts and the best sentence Covey ever wrote (IMO) . . . 

Say this sentence out loud to yourself every time you write or review your goals:

IN 2020 I WILL . . . "tap my talents and fuel my passions in a way that rises out of a great need in the world that I am drawn to by conscience to meet – for therein lies my voice, my true calling, my soul’s code.”

Here's a post on goal setting from a while back: Whole Person Goal Setting Process. 

I always start with a list of annual goals in each category, in my own hand-writing. Typically between 3 and 5 goals in each group. Goals should be SMART - Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, and Timebound. I start each month with a list stating what I plan to accomplish or what I plan to focus on in each area. I like to use a Black 'n Red notebook, where I also keep other journal entries. What type of journal, type of paper, pens, or pencils do you like to use?

My yearly and monthly goal worksheets typically look like this, with bold type credit to Covey again:

To love (family, friends, social, emotional, passions, goals of the heart):

1.
2. 
3.
4.
5.

To leave a legacy (faith; world view, spiritual, goals of the soul):

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

To live (fitness, golf, physical, needs, food and drink intake, goals of the body):

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

To learn (financial, Autodesk (work), mental, intellectual, talents, books, goals of the mind):

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

It can also be helpful to draw the circles above on a piece of paper, noting that the 'sweet spot' is in the middle. Then use the circles as a worksheet writing words in each circle that can later be expanded into SMART goals. (You will know when you are living from that sweet spot. This is sometimes called 'flow.' Covey calls it 'finding your voice' or 'your true calling.') We have talked about the importance of oscillating in and out of each discipline (or circle) throughout each day. This is the key to living a balanced and healthy life, as you learn to recharge and recover in one area, while you are stretching, growing, learning in another.

Last MIAGM of 2019!

Hey peeps,

Today is Monday, December 30th and that means tomorrow we should be thinking about our goals for 2020. This is also our last Make it a Great Monday of the year. Here are some highlights and lowlights from 2019 from Nuggets.

Highlights:

Happy 19th Birthday Lucy May Singletary

Kicking off a fun week with the Tar Heels in the Sweet 16, Emily moving into her apartment, and WGC Dell Match Play!

Happy Birthday Catherine Singletary - 2 for you!

Happy Birthday Sal Pal

Time stood still

Happy Birthday Emily Page Singletary - Make it a GREAT Monday!

Surfing with Lu

More pics from Honolulu

Kyoto, Japan - Bike tour with Jack Fee

4th of July in Austin

Kingsmill and Duck with the Biernackis

The Farm with the Oakeys

OBX Beach Week 2019

Cartwheel - ATL 2019

Lucy's summer - Surfing the Nations recap

T versus the world!

Sophomore! - Hang on for the ride LuLu

Woman Power Wednesday - Go LuLu

Thanks for a great weekend family - Dad's 60th

2 for G on a BIG Birthday - Thank you family!

Breckenridge troll - Isak

Happy Anniversary Catherine Singletary - Stay whole (Tue) and stay FUN!

Great ATL weekend with Sal and T - Go Braves and Make it a Great Monday!

Happy Thanksgiving and a few thoughts that start with 'F'

Westlake Football through the years - Go Chaps!

Lowlights:

Woman Power Wednesday - BAILEY!

Long live Bailey in our hearts,

Dad

Poppy talking trash and today's golf game

This is priceless stuff to me. Beth and Patton sent last night, as they have been going through videos at Pat and Dianne's with all the kids this week. 

Fun time on the golf course today with this bunch. And some pretty good golf with Emily's 78 taking home a few coins for her team.

The time for a timeline - Merry Christmas

Dear family and friends,

I recently learned about something called a 'Life Journey' timeline from an Austin-based business coach and friend by the name of Jim Blanchard. 

Each of us has a journey line that began the moment we were born. The journey line is a story of your life. The highs and lows, events, values, and influences that shaped your thinking and development as a person. By reviewing your journey line, you may become more self-aware. By becoming more self-aware, you live from a place of freedom. And, from that place, you may more effortlessly and wisely choose your path towards happiness and prosperity. In short, self-awareness equals freedom. (There is a forgiveness piece that seems to come into play as well when you go through this exercise.)

I have decided to share my timeline as an example and as a way to say thanks. For those who are mentioned or pictured please know I appreciate and love you. I have been so blessed to have you in my life. There are many others whom I have thought about when doing this exercise. I couldn't get them all down, nor get through the thousands of photos I have accumulated.

If you so choose, view my journey line here. Best if viewed on a computer, rather than a phone. View in full-screen mode and use the plus-minus scaler and your mouse to slide pages around. If no time for yet another digital dump, at least know I wanted to share this with you as a way of saying thanks for being part of my journey.

Happy holidays,

Page

Chaps get it done - STATE CHAMPS!

So proud of this 'team' and happy for the Westlake community for finally getting that elusive second state title! Make it a great Monday and Merry Christmas week. Here are a few links from Saturday nights victory:

STATE CHAMPS: Westlake wins 6A-D2 State Title with shutout of Denton Guyer

Westlake Chaparrals win second UIL state title in school history

Westlake shuts out Denton Guyer to claim 2nd state championship

Westlake Football through the years - Go Chaps!