making headway

I don't normally think in terms of goals and accomplishments, like Lisa Call, who has posted about her changing definition of success on tonight's blog. Her definition reads like a list of goals to me - and I think that's great - because I believe she'll accomplish them and reach her (current) definition of success. There was one time in my life where I actually made a list of where I wanted to be in a year: I wanted to make $X a year by working one day a week. But how to accomplish this? What I learned was that the best way was to start with assuming I had accomplished the goal and work backwards to determine what I had done to get there, till I got back to step 1. It worked! For one year, I made close to the amount I had wanted and only worked one day a week. Then I went to work for someone else and my life changed again. This morning, my goal was to attach the facing to a piece I want to have in my open studios on Oct. 5. Did it - but now have to get it sewn down and put on a sleeve. Tomorrow, ditto another piece. This afternoon I finally sat down to write the article I have due next week and I will probably have it done in the next day or two. I don't know about you, but I work better under a certain amount pressure than if I la-di-da things along. On the other hand, I would never think of waiting till the totally last minute to start a project. Only once in four years of college did I pull an all-nighter before an exam and I was so sure I had flunked that I waited for eons to go pick up my bluebook. I got a B minus - it was a philosophy exam. As I was waiting for the water to boil tonight (and watching the pot, of course) - I saw these beautiful pinhole-size bubbles on the bottom of the pot. I ran to get my camera but by the time I had it in hand, the water was boiling and I had lost the moment. But I did get a picture of these little nests, which weren't going anywhere till I threw them into the pot. Looking at this permutation makes me wish I had done this sketch instead of Photoshop. But sketching nests of pasta is not on my list of goals. However, a good night's sleep is...and if I work backwards, I know exactly how I am going to accomplish this. Back to one's definition of success: yes, I believe that it should change as we do. Career success is one thing, but there are all kinds of successes. Our definitions are personal, subjective, varied, and probably don't apply to anybody but ourselves. An interesting thing to ponder...as I chase my good night's sleep.