I recently found myself in this situation and was disheartened by the fact. Sitting down with my goal sheet in front of me, I set about re-evalutating each individual one in the effort to fire up my inspiration and continue to move forward. The following is the process I used to get out of my goal rut and rediscover the meaning each held for me and regaining my focus on my ideal vision of life.

Start by drawing out the goals that seem to continually be unfulfilled and analyze them.

• What was it about this goal that got you excited originally?
• Is it truly aligned with your current vision?
• What are the benefits or rewards for accomplishing it?

You never truly fail a goal till you give up on it completely -- an uplifting fact to keep in mind when you find yourself stuck.

This doesn’t include removing a goal because it is not aligned with you any longer, that isn’t a failure at all. It’s a great thing to be truly honest with yourself and be objective with your goals, rather than holding on to one for sentimental reasons. Cut out any goals that you no longer hold dear, or are for someone else other than you.

If you established from the above questions you still really want this goal, then keep at it!

• Change how you are going about it. Insanity is doing the same thing every time and expecting a different result. Create a new and different plan of attack.
• Write out a strategy. Make a list of every step you need to do to work towards. Pick one of the most vital and start. Do it now!
• Surround yourself with inspiration on a regular basis

Strategizing and writing out each step is a vital element to help your realize a goal. Breaking it down allows our brain to focus on each individual step, hone in on what really matters and overall makes the goal seem a lot more achievable in its more simple components.

For me, time after time “I own a dog” would go unfulfilled on my goals board as the ‘by whens’ kept slipping by. Although a short term and seemingly simple goal, I was always disappointed it went unaccomplished because for me, achieving it would rock my world! Yet, did I ever actually sit down and think about it? It was only till recently I made a plan, I researched and budgeted considering the long and short term.

Now I’m at the point where all the steps are covered besides having a dog friendly place to live. Although the goal passed by, the feeling of accomplishing all those other steps is great and I know I’ve tried and I’m one key step away from making it reality.

When the going gets tough, remember your inspiration and values. Focusing on these will help you center your energies on the positive and empowering. Have them be a part of your everyday life.

• Write out your top goal and have it somewhere you see everyday
• Draw on your mentors and idols for strength
• Write out your 5 most important values. When faced with a decision, ask yourself if it holds true to these values or not.
• Listen, read and watch inspiring stories and documents (I love listening to Brian Tracy’s CD the Philosophy of Happiness)
• Remember who you are doing this for. YOU.

At the end of the day when it comes down to it, what matters most to you is what’s important. Don’t stress yourself with other’s goals or comparing yours to others as this can hinder your energy and integrity to your own values.

One of the most powerful, yet simplest questions that was asked to me once wasL “How are you going to spend your time?”

Remember the choice is yours, how you live this life. Spend it wisely, doing what you love.

Hello, world! Are you ready for 17 days of once-in-a-lifetime experiences?

For the month of February, our five lululemon blog artists will be experiencing Vancouver and documenting their adventures as the madness unfolds. They'll be yoga-ing, participating in daily challenges, and fill-in-the-blanking. It's impossible to predict exactly what's going to go down this month, but if there's a CGSE blogger nearby you can be assured it'll be twitpic'ed, recorded for our Vimeo channel, and/or written about on the CGSE blog.

Without further ado, meet the blog artists!

Jenna

five facts about jenna

1. I will forever be a kid at heart

2. I <3 impromptu dancing and/or skipping

3. Food is a big force in my life

4. I like to think of myself as a "mixed bag of nuts"

5. Creating is in my soul

Twitter: @jennacgse
Facebook: Jenna Germany
Foursquare: jennacgse

Elim

five facts about elim

1. I have goals in fashion and styling. My dream job: freelance stylist and professional blogger coming to you live from the front rows of the most venerable names in fashion.

2. I have a life long love affair with books. When I was in grade 3, I read 100 books during summer break. Send me your suggestions, I'm always looking for something to read. Literally.

3. The people at lululemon changed my life. This saying "Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them.- W.Clement Stone" is how I would describe where I work and the people I work with. I am extremely fortunate to have co-workers who are now my greatest friends.

4. I love to dance and will find ways to dance even in the most awkward of moments (Ex. in the SSC parking lot in front of the whole office).

5. I have completed the Vancouver Sun Run 3 years in a row now and am aiming for a finish time of 1 HR this year.

Twitter: @elimcgse
Facebook: Elim Canada
Foursquare: elimcgse

Whitney

five facts about whitney

1. I am a vegetarian, but my favorite snacks are cheddar bunnies and animal crackers. Weird I know.

2. Writing is my first passion.

3. I have worn the same color hot pink nail polish on my fingers and toes for 4 years now, even on my wedding day with hot pink shoes to match.

4. I once moved to Italy to play softball in their pro circuit, it changed my life and inspired me to apply at lululemon instead of law school. Ciao bella.

5. I believe that food is both the cause and the cure of all of our ailments, and a glass of lambrusco is the secret of a life.

Twitter: @whitneycgse
Facebook: Whitney Sweden
Foursquare: whitneysweden

Tiffany

five facts about tiffany

1. my favourite colour is black (and yes! it is a colour...)

2. my BHAG is to be the CEO of lululemon athletica by february 9, 2024

3. the best way to sweat, in my opinion, is a super hot yoga class, or sitting in the hot sun!

4. i LOVE cupcakes... and pizza.

5. travelling is my passion - my next stop will be the summit of mount kilimanjaro in the summer of 2011!

Twitter: @tiffanycgse
Facebook: Tiffany Britain
Foursquare: tiffanycgse

Liz

five facts about liz

1. I'm an East coast girl - BIG time. We're talkin' sailing, walks on the beach, yoga classes in a boathouse, Sloan, donairs and all. BUT I'm super excited to be taking it from the best coast to the West coast in February... I mean, it IS going to be the centre of the universe. BUT I've got a few travel goals: I will visit (and blog) every National Park in Canada with my friend Kim by October, 2012. I will participate in the Bali Spirit Festival by May, 2013. I will do a vineyard tour of Cape Town, South Africa by September, 2015...

2. I have a bit of a Cool Racerback "problem" - I'm currently eyeing Bold Blue as the 13th addition to my collection. I mean, they're just SO versatile! Why fight it?

3. I will be a 500-hour certified yoga teacher by July 1st, 2010 - I'll be heading to Byron Bay, Australia in May to complete my training! I'm definitely a yogi, and as the Community Leader at lululemon athletica Halifax, I get to attend at least 4 classes per week. Talk about sweating once a day!

4. I spent 3 months last year volunteering in Madagascar doing forest management and conservation. It's the most incredibly beautiful place with the most wonderful people - I really can't say enough about it, so ASK me! I've got stories for days, and it really helped me to shape my goals for the future.

5. Words that I live by (and the reason why I love my job!): "A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both." - L.P. Jacks

Twitter: @lizcgse
Facebook: Liz Australia
Foursquare: lizcgse

now what?

Fan, friend, and follow our CGSE blog team. And if you spot them out and about in Vancouver this February, be sure to say hello. In fact, if you see them and mention the special passphrase "weinerdog", they just may hand you a special surprise!

the main cgse blog is at: lululemon.com/cgse
our vimeo channel: vimeo.com/lululemontv
our flickr photos: flickr.com/photos/lululemonathletica/cgse

Above: Ronnh, our Multimedia Developer, about to bite the bullet and start work on his next big project.

I have struggled with perfectionism most of my life. Most people would think perfectionism a gift, but really it is more a curse. It was only until recently that I realized that it was holding me back from goals. An ambition to be a bestselling author, seemingly miles away, as I stare at my blank computer screen, choking on words that I keep second guessing.

My first step to overcoming this was getting real to it and acknowledging the problem. Where was my fear stemming from? What did it matter if something wasn't perfect? Thinking on this, I came to the source, a very common fear most people suffer – a fear of not being good enough. It can permeate all areas of our life with us not even being aware; health, personal, business.

A quote that really spoke to me was one said by Robert H. Schuller- "Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing perfectly". OMG! So it's better for me to write a crappy story than nothing at all? Of course! Becuase I can work on that story, I can develop that first draft into something grand and write that amazing novel I want. Whereas the alternative is nothingness: you can't work on something that isn't there. A light bulb went on for me there and set me free.

It took such a weight off me and allowed me the opportunity to start being true to myself and working towards those ultimate goals. Each day I face it, but I have that knowledge and hope that I will continue to overcome it. Live your life, don't hold back.