At 51 I’m climbing ladders and still setting impossible goals. Correction… others say they’re impossible, I say what’s the point in having a goal if it doesn’t have a bit of a dream attached to it? Sure SMART goals are practical, but give me a dumb goal any day. It’s way more fun and sexy!
Anyone, at any age can dream and then work towards that dream. That’s where the “smart” comes into play. Creating habits that match up to what we want to achieve. An attitude of gratitude and believing anything is possible, goes a long way.
No matter what your age you are never too young or too old to dream, to have success or to go after what you want. The following girls and women I’m sure would tell you they set goals. I would imagine many of them were Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely, but they went far beyond that. They dreamed things and reached levels that most people would have at some point said “impossible”.
#JazzJennings was 6 years old when she gave an interview to Barbara Walters for a television special about transgender children. She’s continued to educate the world about what it means to be transgender. An LGBTQ activist and YouTube star she has a show on TLC called I Am Jazz and co-authored a book by the same name. Now 17, she regularly speaks out about issues affecting the trans community.
#NadiaComăneci a gymnast from Romania scored seven perfect 10.0’s and won three gold medals at the Olympics at age 14.
#MalalaYousafzai is a Pakistani human rights advocate known for her activism for education for girls. At age 15 years old, a Taliban gunman shot her in an assassination attempt in retaliation for her work. At the age of 17, she received the Nobel Peace Prize becoming the youngest Nobel laureate.
#YaraShahidi is an 18-year-old actress and activist who uses her platform to advocate for important issues like diversity in Hollywood, girls’ education and voter turnout. Her new initiative Eighteen x ’18, encourages more young people to vote in the upcoming elections.
#JKRowling was 30 years old when she finished the first manuscript of Harry Potter
#Oprah was 32 when she started her talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind
#RosaParks was 42 when she refused to obey the bus driver’s order to give up her seat to make room for a white passenger
#SuzanneCollins was 46 when she wrote “The Hunger Games”
#DianaNyad at age 64 became the first person confirmed to swim from Cuba to Florida without the aid of a shark cage. The journey was 110 miles long and took her 53 hours straight.
#GrandmaMoses, called a “genuine American primitive” became one of the country’s most famous painters and turned out her first painting at the age of 76.
#DorothyDavenhillHirsch went to The North Pole, at age 89
#GladysBurrill ran her 5th full marathon, at age 92
The list is long, amazing and endless…
My dream? I dream of all girls and women knowing their value. What do you dream of? You don’t have to want to change the world. Maybe your dreams are more personal or seem too small to make a list of greatness? I would be willing to bet there is someone who will see what you have accomplished and say, “wow, I wish I could be like her.” That’s the very best thing we could hope for. Setting a clear and beautiful example for the girls who are searching for their dream.
Leave a Reply