14 Comments
Jul 16, 2023Liked by Chrissy Hennessey

Leave it to a group of women to come up with something so logical/effective/fun/collaborative. I'm envious.

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Jul 16, 2023Liked by Chrissy Hennessey

This sounds amazing!! I’m going to see if I can drum up some interest among my friends to implement a goal setting club of our own.

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Please let me know how it goes! I would sincerely love to start a trend! 😅

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Your club sounds amazing! Is there one person among you who typically keeps the others organized?

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Not really! We're all pretty well organized and goal oriented, which is one of the reasons we vibe so well at these meetings, and we've all shown up with new exercises or ideas to try. I was the person who originally came up with the idea for the club, but staying organized now that we're in full swing is pretty easy. I also think 3-5 is the ideal size for a club like this. It's small enough that no one gets shy sharing their most vulnerable hopes and dreams, but big enough to benefit from the support and camaraderie.

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Jul 17, 2023Liked by Chrissy Hennessey

Haha, I can totally relate to the adoption of corporate speak away from the work desk! However, as you say, some of these office-related approaches are very helpful for our creative goals! I just posted a how-to guide on continuing creative projects while busy at paid work. Check it out on my Substack, I think that the Girls with Goals would be onboard!!

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I loved your post about making time for your projects! As someone whose brain also works best in the morning, I can relate to the whole getting up earlier/going to bed earlier sacrifice so you have more time to write before work. Not always easy, but always worth it!

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Totally agree!

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Jul 16, 2023Liked by Chrissy Hennessey

I had to look up bougie. It’s not a term we use here in Australia. I assume it’s derived from bourgeois?

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Yes, exactly - mostly just used to mean fancy, but also in a kind of mocking way. Here, I'm mocking myself for spending $100 on pasta and wine, because it's definitely not something I do on a normal basis! 😅

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Jul 16, 2023Liked by Chrissy Hennessey

Hi Chrissy, I read your first article of the two listed on Lens. I remember the column, but reading it in its new form was nice. I had someone recently ask for my volunteer time for an organization that I could only describe as you did: I gave so much and got so little in return. Run, don't walk!

Also, I used to hate that "give back time" statement. At best, it's inane. At worst, it shows poor time management that someone scheduled an hour meeting instead of just 15 or 30 minutes. Of course, I never pointed this out because the person saying it was always higher ranking!

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Thanks for reading that piece (again!)! I truly appreciate the support.

And yes, "giving back" 30 minutes is ridiculous, but the one I hate the most is when someone is like, "Well, I'll give you back two minutes." That is not giving me a gift; it's just ending the meeting on time!!!

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Hi Chrissy, I keep coming back to this article because of how productive this idea sounds. I want to start a club like this. But I don't have a group of women friends. I only have one on one connections. I am wondering how I can bring them together. Can this work with people from different walks of life? eg: An artist, an Accountant and an HR?

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Aug 7, 2023·edited Aug 7, 2023Author

HI Ranjini! This can absolutely work with people from different walks of life - in fact, I think that makes it even better! Everyone has a different perspective and way of looking at things, which can be so helpful. You don't need a big group (we're just 3!) and even though we're all friends, we're at different places in our lives and careers. I'm married, childfree and focused on creative goals, one member is single and working on building her relationships and her career, and the other has two small children and thinks a lot about work/life balance. And even if the people you bring together don't know each other very well, this is a great opportunity to introduce them and make new friends!

If you go that route, I would definitely suggest keeping the first meeting more structured, and working through a few more formal goal setting activities together, at least until you're more comfortable with each other. But the first step is just putting it out there and seeing if anyone wants to try it out. When I brought it up with my friends, I wasn't sure if they would think I was completely ridiculous, or if they'd be excited to join. It's been a mixture of both, I think, which is totally fine.

Let me know how it goes, and good luck!

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