inMotion Magazine

Finding Purpose 31 adopt, and what kind of people we want to be (and be known as). Core values can evolve but are more or less stable. Whether we have consciously planned to have certain values or not, we’ve got them and we live by them. So why not choose these purposefully, and use their power to steer our thoughts and actions? The Map Armed with our core value compass, next we tackled where we want to be in 10 years – in other words, our long-term map. This may end up being more of a parental activity if your kids are younger. We chose to set personal goals in seven areas: spiritual, family, health, financial, career, hobbies/skills and travel. Of course, we were S.M.A.R.T. about it! I’m referring to a well-accepted business goal-setting framework of being: specific, measurable, achievable and results-oriented, with a timeframe or a date attached to it. For example, a personal goal in the health category that I set some time ago was: “Strengthen my (amputated) arm through exercising and massage so I can wear my prosthesis for three to four hours daily by December 2018.” Three Rocks While core values are the foundation that our long-term plan is based on, the idea of breaking goals into actionable 60- to 90-day chunks is a very intentional and achievable activity. This stems from another business concept of tackling the big rocks first instead of the million little rocks that we get caught up in during our day-to-day lives. These can be a habit, a skill or an area of focus that brings you closer to one or more of your goals. My son chose his three big rocks: stop biting his nails, become a level-3 reader and master first grade math by May 31. The Bucket We decided to have an individual bucket list that we each could maintain throughout our lives and check things off of it as we experienced them. Adding things to his bucket list has been one of the most fun things for my son. One of the most touching things he added was to make a robotic arm for me that will have “many, many attachments, one for playing Legos, one for cooking and one for playing basketball.” Once the exercise of defining your family compass, creating your map, assigning your big rocks and populating your bucket is done, being able to refer to these regularly is key. We wrote our family core values and stuck it on our fridge. Our personal 90-day rocks sit in plain sight at our desks. My husband and I keep our long-term goals and bucket lists on our phones in our OneNote, while my son keeps his bucket list in his journal. Whether you’ve found your purpose or are still searching for it, good luck on your journey – may each day bring you closer to finding or fulfilling your purpose. Bilateral Upper-Limb Loss Workshop | October 18-21, 2018 – Houston, Texas The Skills for Life workshop is a unique event dedicated to bilateral upper-limb loss. Presenters will include individuals living with bilateral upper-limb loss, therapists, prosthetists, physicians and others. For more information, visit: usispo.org/skills_for_life.asp. EVENT ALERT

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