Working Towards the Goal

"By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be."  -Mark Victor Hansen, author Chicken Soup for the Soul

We have Gold Award Interviews the end of this month, and I'm looking forward to seeing what great Take Action Projects the girls will have chosen.  

And I'm hoping to see some great paperwork come through!  I'm hoping to see applications that show that the girl has put time and thought into her project planning,   And I'm hoping that her Advisor/troop leader/parent has worked with her, and given her good feedback, so the plan is clear and easily understood.

Truly, I'm hoping for word processed pages that make sense!  I'm also hoping for clear issue definition and an understanding of what the root cause is of the issue that is being addressed.  Yep, I'm pretty hopeful!

And in the same breath, fearful!  Fearful that the girls are rushing through the application to "get it done and submitted" and that the advisors are merely rubberstamping mediocrity!  I think Mark Victor Hansen had it right, when he said to record dreams and goals on paper.  By putting the Gold Award plan into writing, stepping back, looking at it again, and then realizing it's a great plan, it truly does set the tone for the whole project.

Committing to a project verbally is not quite as meaty as committing to it to paper.  Paper commitment requires thought processing, critical thinking, some linear thinking, and letting passion leak through.  That's what's going to make a GREAT Gold Award Project!  Having the passion, committing to change and creating a plan to make it happen.

It's the Discovery of an issue,  the Connecting to a community group to work through, the gathering of a team, and then the Taking Action that will make all the difference.  It's about working toward a goal, as a leader of a team. Making a difference in a local community.  Inspiring others to succeed.  Leaving a sustainable plan behind.

All the pieces of a great proposal and project.  Hoping that's what I find on December 1st, to be sure.