When we arrived we met women from all over the United Kingdom, some had travelled for hours to hear Gael speak. We were greeted with a glass of wine and chatted amongst ourselves. Then we went into the lecture theatre to hear Gael speak.
Gael spoke about the importance of goal setting in our lives and to learn to set ourselves realistic and achievable goals. To think of our goals for the next month, six months time, a year etc. During the lectures we had a break for cream cakes and coffee, then we returned to hear more. We left with a bag of goodies to go home including a copy of one of Gael’s books, and I left Swansea feeling inspired.

When I got home I immediately formulated a plan for achieving 3 goals, as Gael had suggested. I thought to myself: Now what would I really like to do with my life?

The 3 things I came up with were:

1. To train as a counsellor.

2. To join a local history group.

3. To make a new friend.

The funny thing was that I had intended to seek out a counselling course the year before at an open day at my local college, but somehow I had got side tracked and before I knew it I had got myself signed up for the Diploma in Childhood Studies, somehow I had veered off course.

I’m glad to say that I eventually achieved all 3 goals. Before training as a counsellor, I had been having nightmares about missing a red double Decker bus. I would run like mad to the bus stop and just as I got there it would drive off. One night I even managed to glimpse who the passengers were. It turned out to be my fellow students on the Diploma in Childhood studies course. As soon as I started on the counselling course, my nightmares stopped. I’m convinced that the bus represented my journey in life and how instead of ‘missing the boat’, I had missed the bus!

The second and third goals were achieved at the same time. I asked one of the mothers at my children’s school, who I knew was interested in history if she would like to come to a local history group with me, this led on to joining a family history group and tracing my family tree back to 1704.

I can honestly say that goal setting has changed my life. I’m now involved in a career I enjoy and have an absorbing hobby, genealogy, and a new friend.