Goals Revisited

We're just about at the halfway mark of 2012.  That means it's a good time to look back and reflect on your New Year's resolutions. Remember the goals you set out to achieve earlier this year?  How did you fare?  Give yourself credit and congratulations for any goals you completed or a firm pat on the back for others you are still working on.  For many of us, however, New Year's resolutions tend to be short lived. No worries.  All is not lost.  Recognizing where we went wrong along the way is half the battle.  The biggest culprit is generally not creating a goal that is specific enough or time bound.  Giving yourself a detailed description of your goal and a date you expect to complete it by will help you have a clear picture of what you intend to do and when you hope to get it done.  Undefined goals or goals that are too broad leave plenty of room for wavering.   Having a time bound resolution creates a sense of urgency to get it done.  If your boss gives you a deadline for a project, for example, you're much more likely to complete it faster than if you had no time frame at all.

The good news is that you can always revisit goals and tweak them as needed.  Make them more specific, measurable, and time bound and you're more likely to see positive results.  Also make sure your resolutions are realistic for where you are at in life or what you hope to accomplish.  Like all goals, your wedding goals should follow a similar criteria if you want to stay focused and on track.

'Tis the Season

Summer is almost here and that means the wedding season is heating up.  If you're a summer bride, you may be busy taking care of last minute details, going over your wedding checklist, or starting to get anxious about the big day.  Whatever you find yourself doing or feeling, relax, it's likely normal. Your wedding day is going to be one of the most memorable days in your life.  That said, make sure you treat it as such.  Often times, we get so caught up in the details, we forget to enjoy the moment.  If you have a wedding planner, great.  He or she should be the one taking care of all the details or any unexpected situations.  If you don't have an event planner, ask a trusted friend or relative to act as your point person during the wedding.  Explain that you want to be able to enjoy your wedding day and not have to deal with any hiccups along the way.  In most cases,  they would be honored that you trust them and glad to help you out.  Choosing a relative may not be as good an option as a friend because relatives, especially close ones, want to share in the festivities of the day too.  They may not want the responsibility of managing details.  Use your judgment to pick someone you trust will be able to carry out this role and be happy to do so.   Venue managers or coordinators are also very helpful.  They want you to have a positive experience; so enlist their help where appropriate.

The last thing you want to do on your wedding day is worry about a missing centerpiece, the extra guests that showed up, or anything else unexpected.  If you happen to notice something awry, do tell your wedding planner, point person, or some other individual, who can take care of it.   Your job is to be the bride, enjoy your special day, and cherish the beautiful memories you and your groom create.  Leave the details to someone else.