Saturday, December 13, 2008

Affirmations: Life's a POOGI.





I mentioned in an earlier post that many of my internal conflicts result from having some goals that are at cross-purpose, so I wrote this one…

My goals are meaningful and in keeping with my core beliefs and values.

This assumes I’ve spent the time identifying my core beliefs and values, which I have. This affirmation helps me set the mark of the kind of person I want to be: genuine, transparent, and consistent. This affirmation helps me guard against hypocrisy as well.

Another problem I’ve encountered in life is trying to do too much at once. I protect myself from this now via this simple affirmation:

I enjoy moving forward towards my goals at a sustainable pace.



I also want to be a life long learner. I like being productive and achieving goals, but I’ve learned that often the journey is its own reward. So I wrote this enigmatic affirmation:

My life is an enjoyable POOGI.

The puzzle is clear to those who have read business guru Eli Goldratt’s books including: The Goal, It’s Not Luck, etc. He defines POOGI as a Process Of On Going Improvement.

Several years ago I designed and taught a junior high elective that I called Creativity and Design. The class motto was twofold: 1) Life’s a POOGI! And 2) CPSrs for life! (Creative Problem Solvers for life!). One of life’s pleasures is to walk down a hallway of a suburban junior high and have a group of three girls smile, pump their fists in the air and chant… “Mr. Evans; We’re CPSrs for life!”

Me too, and these three affirmations help keep me on course.


2 comments:

  1. C.P.Rs for Life. You have no idea how much I appreciate that. I know this post is about so much more, but this one think happened to catch my eye the most. Thanks for teaching your kids to be problem solvers. I might have to get some of your curriculum and see if I can incorperate it into what I'm doing. It's so important. And, perhaps in teaching them how to be problemsolvers, we can help them work to achieve thier goals.

    Amazing work, Don. Keept it up! :)

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  2. Well. I'm jealous that you got to design your own course! Me want to, too. :p

    As you already know, I believe whole-heartedly in POOGI, and it's exciting to know that you're not only passing such valuable wisdom on to youth (junior highers, no less) but that they're GETTING it, they're really getting it. Some days it's clear that there may be no single thing more important than raising children well.

    "Mr. Evans - I'm in a POOGI for life!" ;)

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