As you settle down to make your New Year goals, here are a few ideas to stimulate your thoughts:

• You can sculpt something that inspires others (like Mount Rushmore! )
• You can build something that sets the identity of a city (like the Empire State Building) !
• You can be part of a team to explore far off places (like the Curiosity – Mars Rover Project)!

All these and many other examples are all around us. We can draw our inspiration from them.

Our goals need not all be so lofty and so unique. Instead they can be simple, yet make a difference to someone, anyone, even in a limited fashion. It can be as simple as  the care for some one in need, an elderly, some one in the family and yes, even a pet at home or in the care of some one else. These may come across as “duty” or “obligations” at first sight. They may appear as something for the benefit of some one else. But, you can also reflect on them in a sense of self-less nature. Then you will come to treat them as “goals” to be accomplished – in a non-attached manner, merely for “self-improvement”, rather than as a favor, service or benefit to some one or something else! This is an aspect of the Sprituality in practice for goal setting!

They can also be goals to shape us – physically, emotionally and/or intellectually – so that we are better prepared to take on more loftier and self-less goals in due course.

Not many goals are accomplished in a short time. But, you cannot ever finish anything that you never started! “Journey of thousand miles, starts with a single step” — Chinese Proverb. There is always a risk associated with any effort. Better planning and preparation are always the sure steps to overcome any risk. “Cross the river and feel the stones” — another Chinese saying. Not everything we do gets noticed right away. Don’t sweat over that. You cannot do much about that. Let it not matter as long as the goal, the efforts and results are worthy enough on their own merit.  You can do something about that.

Many a time not getting noticed may be as simple as being part of nature! There are beautiful flowers and spectacular views, rarely noticed but for the occasional traveler.

Desert Flowers – Arches National Park, UT        Desert Flowers – White Sands Dunes, NM

There is fragrance in the air, rarely perceived but for the occasional visitor to the garden and at the right time! The flowers do not stop blooming or stop spreading their fragrance simply because there was no one around to see their beauty and smell their fragrance. The nature continues in its magnificence even when there is no one to witness its march of time.

Canyon Lands, UT.                                                                Crater Lake, OR.

As you reflect on your goals, here are a few additional facts to further shape your thoughts and ideas! Happy Goal Setting!

Mount Rushmore: Gutzon Borlgum  was 60 years old, when he began sculpting the faces of the presidents on Mount Rushmore . He was assisted by 400 workers.

• It took 14 years to complete the monument at Mount Rushmore
• The Mount Rushmore sculpture was completed safely with no casualties

http://blog.caravan.com/mount-rushmore-presidents/

The Empire State Building: Has its own zip code (10118) to accommodate its 1,000 businesses and 21,000 employees.  It is the first building in the world with over 100 floors.

• It took 3400 workers and 410 days of construction.
• Lightning Strikes on the lightning rod on the top of the Empire State Building an average of 23 times each year.

http://www.jazzhostels.com/blog/98-facts-about-the-empire-state-building/

Curiosity – Mars Rover Project: Curiosity was launched from Cape Canaveral on November 26, 2011, aboard the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft and successfully landed on Mars on August 6, 2012,

• After 220 days of non-stop travel. and after a 563,000,000 km (350,000,000 mi) journey. That calculates to an average speed of 66.300 MPH! Yet, the landing site was less than 2.4 km (1.5 mi) from the center of the rover’s touchdown target
• Radio signals take 14 minutes to travel from Mars to Earth.
  • That means Curiosity, was already sitting around on Mars for 14 minutes before anyone knew!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curiosity_rover

Happy New Year!!