Obama And You: What Can You Accomplish In The Next 100 Days?

Today marks President Obama's 100th day in office. By the time you read this, you will already have been showered with the press' full-tilt boogie coverage of this occasion. And, why not?

President Obama has taken on his presidency with a fervor, reaching out to the international community to begin repairing America's image abroad and tackling the difficult domestic issues left behind by his predecessor.

Obama gets consistently high marks for his first 100 days from all sectors of the country (except, of course, from the Republicans and Fox News) and Arlen Specter announced his decision to switch parties yesterday, bringing the Dems closer to the magical number of 60 in the Senate (that is, if Al Franken is ever allowed to take his seat). See Obama's report card posts here and here.

What does all this have to do with you and me? Well, aside from the fact that it feels good to have our country back in competent hands and to see the wheels of government slowly beginning to work again, the 100-day focus is a great idea for the rest of us to incorporate into our own lives.

Why not set 100 day benchmarks for your self, take stock of where you are at the end of that time and give yourself a reward? The very fact that you made it through another 100 days of living is reason enough to pop the bubbly. Frankly, at my age, every day is cause for celebration. But that's another post.

Seriously, 100 days of concentrated focus on an area of your life you want to improve is a powerful and effective way to bring about lasting change. Research on learning suggests that it takes approximately 100 days of consistent practice to anchor newly learned behaviors.

Imagine giving yourself 100 days to accomplish an important goal in your life. Perhaps your goal is something that can't be achieved in 100 days, but you can begin it and take the first big chunk out of it. As we learned in the Impossible Dream series:

The journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step. Lao Tzu

What's Your 100 Day Plan?

How many single steps can you take in 100 days? What areas of your life are up for review? Pick a focus on for the next 100 days. Starting today, April 29, 2009, let's join together in a 100 Day Plan to Create Extraordinary Results. Are you in?

What's your focus? Here are some ideas for consideration with examples of the kinds of goals you might set. Select one or more areas to concentrate on for the next 100 days, but keep it simple. You'll be amazed at your ability to get things done when you concentrate your energy by zeroing in on what's most important.

Remember to make S.M.A.R.T. goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. How many and by when?

1) Health - If you're facing current health challenges, how will you care for yourself? Who can you ask for support? Lose how many pounds in 100 days? Exercise how many times/week? Clean up your diet? (Ex. eliminate dairy, wheat, sugar, meat), Stop smoking? Reduce or eliminate your "adult beverage" intake? Spend time in nature at least once a week?

2) Finances- This might be a pressing need, especially now. Is it time to get your financial act together? Do a realistic inventory of your inflows and outflows. Are you living within your means? If not, set up a budget and follow it faithfully. Structure helps immensely. Trim the fat from your outflow (do you really need HBO and all those premium channels?) Dine out less? Pay down credit card debt? How will you bring your outflow into alignment with your inflow?

3) Career Development- Are you currently unemployed? Underemployed? Running a business and need to downsize? Here are some suggestions for this area to consider:

Update your resume and send out how many/day? Have how many job interviews/week? How can you make yourself indispensable at your present job? How can you add value to your company or organization? What skills need to be updated or developed?

4) Relationships- With job insecurity so prevalent, it's easy to lose sight of our needs for relatedness. Yet without the important people in our lives, nothing else matters. Who's most important in your life? How much time do you spend with them or communicate with them? Maybe it's time to schedule a visit back home, spend quality time w/ Mom and Dad? Plan a family reunion and take the lead in organizing it? Spend how many hours of quality time/week with your spouse and children?

5) Community- Life works better when we focus beyond just having our personal needs met. Where, how and with whom can you make a difference in your community? What volunteer opportunities call to you? How many hours/week can you devote to contributing and with whom?

6) Recreation - All work and no play makes Jack and Jill dull robots. Make time for fun! Remember, in their unbelievably busy lives, Barack and Michelle schedule a "date night" every week. I love knowing they're paying attention to their relationship in the midst of all their other pressing demands. They've also fallen in love with Camp David and like other first families before them, find this to be the place where they can let their hair down and relax.

Focus is important and hard work is necessary, now more than ever. But we also need time to kick back and enjoy the ride, otherwise, you might get to your goal and be too worn out to appreciate what you accomplished.

What activities will you schedule for a "time out for play"? Will you take a weekend trip? Go camping with the family? Attend a silent retreat or workshop? Go to a movie and out to dinner with friends? Take a salsa class?

7) Personal Growth- Are you a life long learner? Developing yourself is as important as anything else on this list. How will you open yourself to new learning? Attend a seminar? Take a painting class? Join a book club? What are you up to for the next 100 days that will make you an even more interesting person to be with than you already are?

8) The Inner Life - All that activity in the outer world needs to be balanced by spending time in the inner realm. For the next 100 days, how will you create inner and outer balance? Cultivate a meditation practice and commit to spending time in meditation each day? Attend the church of your choice each week? Practice yoga? Attend a silent retreat? Write in your journal?

4 Tips To Help You Stay On Track

1) Get a buddy- you don't have to be the lone ranger. Synergy is a powerful dynamic to work with. You're in this together. Schedule check in times to be accountable to each other.

2) Work with a coach - This seems obvious if it's within your budget. A coach is trained to help you identify and get past the obstacles that pop up along the way and will hold you accountable. If it's not in your budget, all the more reason to have a good buddy system in place.

3) Keep a journal- the process of getting to your goals is as important as actually getting there. The process is where the learning is. Record your thoughts, feelings, and experiences along the way. Then look back in 100 days and see how far you've come.

4) Have fun and celebrate along the way - This doesn't need to be the arduous trek up the Himalayas. It's the journey of your life unfolding day-to-day for 100 days at a time. Enjoy the ride!

Here's the thing, you're going to be living your life for the next 100 days anyway. Why not be up to something that wasn't going to happen by default? Why not live those 100 days like they were the last 100 days of your life? Who knows? You might even be up for another 100 days after that?

Are you in? I am, and I hope you'll join me. Let's have an ongoing conversation here and on our Dream Launchers group on Facebook over the next 100 days about what extraordinary results you're creating. As part of my own commitment for the next 100 days, I'll be launching my own blog at www.judithrich.com, where I'll be posting original content and offering other stuff. Stay tuned, it's not ready yet, but I'll let you know when it's up and running.

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Meanwhile, Become A Fan and stay in touch. I want to hear what you're up to so drop by the comment section and let me know if you're in. And share the wealth by posting this article on your FB page or sharing it on Twitter. You can also follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dr_judithrich or email me at [e-mail].
Your next 100 days begins now!

Comments

[naylorkelley]

"Be the change you want to see in the world." I am committed to making lasting change in myself and in the world for the next 100 days. I mean, what if these 100 days were the only days I had left? What would I do with them? My support structure is now firmly in place. These next days will be devoted to getting Angel Action up and running. Angel Action is a not-for-profit internet network for "pay it forward" service. It is a site for people serving other people. High time our culture saw this life as WIN/WIN. I get t live WIN/WIN while making thishappen. :-) How amazing would it be if every net-savvy child in America grew up knowing the true meaning of value having had experience with it personally? What if they knew that there were many citizens all over the world taking responsibility for each other? That being connected was not just a theory or an idea? What if they knew that abundance was two fold? How would that change the face of this world? I am committed to creating a vehicle that empowers global citizenship. Thanks for this article, it was a well needed kick in the tush. I had to ask myself why I wasn't living in possiblity like this every day!

[Jmlynchtraining]

Judith,
This challenge hasn't left my consciousness since I read it -- you 'tagged me'! SO, In the next 100 days I will have scheduled a seminar that I'll co-lead with my wife, Riv, on the topic of 'getting rid of the Wait and Weight' that hold you back in life, the emotional and physical 'clutter' that needs clearing. We'll have 20 participants and I have a space in mind and an open invitation to create this. First step, I'll give the syllabus to my wife by this Friday and have a working idea to the sponsor by nex Monday!

There, you made me do it! Are you happy!?? Just kidding. Thanks for being a source of inspiration for over 10 years now!

[jbmanz]

I am going to launch my website for my new business. I will be helping people with itinerary planning for London vacations. Day to day custom plans for people who want the most from their trip but don't have time to do the reaserch themselves.

[Vance1]

In The Next 100 Days? Now thats scary!!!!!!!
Look whats happened in the first 100 days.
Trillions in spending, and on the way to socialized health care .. WOW!

For many Canadians, hospital emergency rooms have become their primary doctor -- as is the case with Medicaid patients in the United States. Patients lie in temporary beds in emergency rooms, sometimes for days. At Sainte-Justine Hospital, a major Montreal pediatric hospital, children often wait many hours before they can see a doctor. Surgery candidates face long waiting lists -- it can take six months to have a cataract removed. Heart surgeons report patients dying on their waiting lists. But then, it's free.


http://wwwamericanpatriot-vance.blogspot.com/

[Gomathi Narayanan]

Dr. Judith,

What an inspiring post. I read your post at the right time.

I want to be an early riser and stay focused on my job for the eight hours. That is goiing to be my focus area. My 100 days starts on May 1.

I will be part of this 100 day mission and make it work...

Feels great..

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi Gomanthi,

I'm curious about the context that has you choose this as your primary goal.

Ask yourself this question: what distracts me from staying focused on my job? Maybe there are some deeper, underlying needs that aren't being addressed that you might consider giving time and attention to.

Are you also giving yourself time for relaxation and having fun? Maybe a little too much? Are you really saying you need to take yourself and your work more seriously than you have?

Are there family responsibilities that take you off focus? Check back here and tell me more about this if you can.

In the meantime, I love that you're committed and jumping on the bus. Stay tuned and check in and let us know how it's going.

Love,
Judith

[Gomathi Narayanan]

Dr. Judith,

Thank you for your response.

Yes I have spent quite a lot of time digging deeper into why I feel the need to stay more focussed. There have been a few medical reasons (physical and mental) that make it hard for me to focus on what I am doing (especially after delivering my daughter). I am working on them. However, in the mean time there is this irresistable urge to do what I can to get back on track and fight these obstacles.
Some underlying reasons other than inevitable medical reasons are procrastination, wanting to be a perfectionist, setting very high standards and being too harsh on self if those standards are not met, etc., I do not want this state of thinking to become a bigger emotional crisis. Hence I am on board with the 100 day mission.

Thanks..

[jeniferdaniels]

I am going to spend the next 100 days studying for the GRE and testing just shortly after.

I want to go back to school and get my PhD in inter cultural communication.

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Fabulous, Jennifer,

I hope you'll jump on our Dream Launchers group on Facebook (see link in my post) and be part of the synergy of over 200 people all declaring what they're up to and going for it.

Boy, is the world in need of what you're preparing yourself for! Inter Cultural Communication..... that's going to be a critical skill for all of us as the world keeps getting smaller.

Thanks for sharing your goals and come back to let us know how that GRE turned out.

Best of everything,
Judith

[Anne Naylor - Huffpost Blogger]

Dear Judith,

What a wonderful post and very inspiring. I am starting my 100 days on 1st May and am noting 8th August as the completion date. In England at the moment, so just now catching up.

What to do? For me I know it is about developing my writing ability. In part. I also have a talent for speaking/f­acilitatin­g groups, which I have not been doing much for a while. Then I am definitely up for some more fun!

When it comes to "planning" I have found that things tend of have a way of finding me "out of the blue". My job is to cooperate with what is immediately in front of me, keeping my focus and intention clear and my spirits way up there!

Life has been reminding me of the value of visualization - not necessarily of every step along the way, but of the end result I would like to be enjoying.

I am thrilled to be sharing this lovely journey with you and the suggestions you have made for the 100 days are fantastic.

Thank you so very much for your voice of sweet encouragement and divine Mama Love!

With love and blessings to you,
Anne

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Dear Anne,

Collaboration is such a potent way to reach our goals. How about we look at how we can collaborate for a win/win with what you're up to and what I'm up to? I see some powerful possibilities for sharing wisdom across this entire community platform in even larger ways than we're already doing.

I love your intuitive approach and trust that life is serving you just what you need. The allowing process brings grace to creation. Getting to our goals doesn't have to mean being a snowplow, does it? We can learn to see a clearer path and step gracefully out of the way of that which appears to obscure the view.

Love and blessings to you on this georgeous spring morning,
Judith

[Ed and Deb Shapiro - Huffpost Blogger]

Hey Judith, Yeah I love kari's idea- have a contest or call it a' funtest' and see who is having the most fun- Deb and I have been working on our/everyone's (as there are many people involved) book for the past year and a half- now that it is finished and will be published November 3rd- we are working with our publicist/editor and others to make it a wonderful event- that will take place in NYC-

We will have a panel (so far) with Robert Thurman, Ellen Burstyn, Linus Roache (star of Law and Order) Deb and I and others - it will be held at the 92nd St. 'Y' a popular venue in NYC

we are also writing a new book that is exciting. So our 100 days are flowing with happiness, love and humility-

Big Hugs,

Ed

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Fabulous, Ed!

It's very exciting about your book and the next one. You're on a roll and doing good in the world. I'm looking forward to reading your book.

Thanks for sharing..........

Big Love,
Judith

[DiogenesOfAlaska]

I'm in. I must admit, however, that I have always lived each day as if the coming 100 days were the last 100 days in my life. That's because I just can't seem to plan for very much longer than that. To tell you the truth, it tends to get all foggy already for more than 87 days.

But seriously, I like your idea since I am about to finish something these days. Which already makes it obvious what my smart goal must be: make sure it DOES get finished, recreate, ... refocus.

Budd-Ism, Coach-Ism and Journal-Ism are each likely to be part of that track.

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Dear Diog,

An idea to keep things current and not let them get "foggy": break the 100 days down in to smaller chunks. What works for you? Maybe it's 3 groups of 33 days with 1 left over to celebrate!

What do you think? Let us know what your goals are. Come on, now!

Glad you're in. Stay in touch with us.......

Love your way,
Judith

[DiogenesOfAlaska]

Just one day to celebrate, out of a full hundred? Impossible! Already because I had already planned more than one before reading your column. Sorry, times may be tough but I need to celebrate more often than that - one day wouldn't even suffice to cover the family reunions scheduled...

Spending time in nature sounds good to me. Particularly because I actually live right in the midst of it - but for some odd reason haven't quite fully realized how valuable that is. Must be the work or something.

Ahhh, I remember: I was busy!

And I will remain so. It's mainly about career development, if you can call doing reasearch career development. It is, but it is mainly a passion.

Being an early bird is another goal. Literally. With all the worm-catching and all that. And keeping a journal. Because the only way to keep track of whatever those ideas looked like when one first conceived them is to keep a journal. Nothing compares to memory-man­agement...­. except of course that it's impossible... but that's another story.

It's interesting that you count meditation among the means of creating inner and outer balance - instead of merely inner balance. This comes very close to an intuition that I have recently developed or rediscovered: that there's little point of having one of the two (balances) at the expense of the other. It's all about the 'balance-balance', so to speak.

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Kari,

Love the 100 day best story idea. I've got one of my own already brewing. Life is happening anyway, I figure let's be up to something. What will you create in the next 100 days?

Thanks much for stopping by,
Judith

[Kari Henley - Huffpost Blogger]

Hey Judith!
Awesome idea!
With the warm Spring weather finally coming around, what a great time to make a commitment to something new and to cruise through now until our Nation's Birthday and see what can happen!
I can't wait to read your post of what people have done in that time!
Maybe you should offer a contest for the best 100 day story?

Great job, super tips and well done!
Kari

[Dr. Cara Barker - Huffpost Blogger]

Dear Judith, and Kari,

Now, here's an idea: what would we like 'our' next 100 days to be?????????? I've got my gameplan for my own, (I'm finally getting the art piece on board for the Net), and incorporating them more into public gigs, but, in the Spirit of the Aquarians, what would we like to create together?

The very thought uplifts my heart as I go out into a day of hospital rounds!

Love to you both,
Cara

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Dear Sisters of Double Aquarianland,

Well, yes! I think the idea of collaboration sounds great and something that's been on the table for a very long time.

Within the next 100 days, I'll have my blog up and running. (Actually, much sooner). Will you both come and be "guest bloggers" ? You both have such great wisdom to share. And beyond that, anything is possible and count me in! YES!!

There's something brewing, looking for new avenues of expression. I'm on that bus, and saving lots of seats, 2 of which are definitely for you.

Thanks m'ladies. Let's have fun.......

Love and blessings,
Judith