Citizenship Ceremony, or just play netball?

Today, the Hutchison’s reach a HUGE milestone!!  I’m so excited, I’m like a kid at Christmas!

 

Tonight, after a 20-year-long goal, we are finally becoming Australian citizens.

 

This morning my daughter said, “Why can’t I just go to my netball game, why do I have to come to the ceremony with you?”

 

You see, this has been a 20-year-long goal – to finally have another passport!

 

In 1993, I went to the UK for a few months. We weren’t allowed to work professionally because we were on South African passports.  People from other countries could work, but because of South African politics, we weren’t.

 

I had friends that worked but lied about their passport. Some were even deported because they were working illegally. The right to work legitimately was not open to us.

 

I’ve never wanted ANYTHING as much as I wanted a foreign passport to allow me to have the freedom of working or living wherever I choose.

 

People who haven’t experienced being in a country, and not allowed to work or remain there, can’t ever really know or feel the significance and emotion associated with this ceremony (even my daughter)!

 

Living in Australia since 2007, I do still love South Africa and I consider both countries ‘home’.  This evening we do our Australian citizenship ceremony, and soon we will have our Australian passports.

 

What is the point of this story?

 

1.    Goals can take time:

If you want something badly enough, it will happen – eventually! I’d almost forgotten that goal, once Nelson Mandela was made president and South Africa became popular in the world – and we got a visa to live and work in Australia. 

 

We are so used to a ‘microwave’ mentality where everything is ready NOW – instant messaging, microwave food, fast food – it’s quite hard to get our head around something that could take 20 years to manifest!

Something that I’ve realised is: TIME and PATIENCE is KEY for goals. God can often have a very different time frame in mind, and that is the PERFECT timeframe.

2.    Many things may need to happen (over time) to get your goal:

Even though it seemed impossible to get another passport back in 1993, it’s been a relatively easy journey – if you’re patient!

 

In this case there are many factors at play to allow us to get Australian Passports, including a great mining industry here and a demand for the skills we have in our family. 

(I could never have predicted everything that needed to fall into place.)

3.    Know EXACTLY what you want:

This is a key component of achieving goals, and something I spend a lot of time working on with clients.

We know what we DON’T want – but do we know exactly what we DO want?

Decide what you DO want, and you get it.

4.    “Create the Space” to set your goals:

Don’t be too busy to think about what you want and what you’re prepared to do to achieve them. When you set goals in the daily routine of life, then it’s tempting to feel stressed about new goals. New bigger goals FEEL like you have to work harder or longer.

REAL goals that fit you and your unique personality assist you to see clearly what things need to be moved, to free up some time, to achieve your goals.  Real goals are exciting and scary! Goals that we are keen to achieve take less discipline than those we set out of obligation – it’s easier to take the action.

***Keep in mind: Your REAL goals don’t have to take 20 years!

However, “Creating the Space” to set those goals and be clearer on exactly what they look like, go a LONG way in manifesting them in even better ways than you could have EVER imagined!!

(“Creating the Space” is a prominent component of my African Soul Retreat in December – to cut away the noise of everyday life and be in the right environment to get CLEAR. It’s PERFECT timing for those attending to be “Creating the Space” for their short and long term goals going into 2014…)

 

So wherever you are, and whatever your intention for the new year:

 

GET CLEAR on what you want. And if there is something you want to develop in yourself, do it NOW. Don’t wait to change your outside circumstances, hoping it will ‘fix’ your situation. Goal Setting is an internal process.

 

And of course, I’m here to help, if you’re ready to do that. J

 

Have a lovely week,

 

Jill

P.S There are still spots available for my African Soul Retreat for this year (December 10th), and I’m also taking bookings for next year – if you’re curious to talk to me more about it and/or receive some more detail, just reply to this email, and let me know what you need.

PPS: Yes, this day is a little bitter sweet – but more on that another time. J