Visiting assistant professor pens book to inspire others to outline goals

April 4, 2014 | Features, UToday, Alumni, Business and Innovation
By Khyara Harris



Dr. Kristy Taylor was married and raising four young boys — Reeves, 8, Davis, 6, Pearson, 4, and Brock, 3 — while working full time when she was overwhelmed by stress.

Taylor

Taylor

“During that time, I lost my identity. My husband, Matt, inspired me to get out of the house for the day and write down my goals; this allowed me to refocus,” Taylor said.

It was those moments alone a few years ago when Taylor was able to sit down and concentrate on life decisions. She listed the advantages and disadvantages of leaving work and spending more time at home. She chose the latter.

Taylor began teaching part time at Monroe Community College, leading to another breakthrough.

“After teaching several courses at the college level, I realized I wanted to pursue my PhD in higher education,” said Taylor, who received her doctorate in 2012 from The University of Toledo.

She is now a visiting assistant professor in the College of Business and Innovation.

None of that would have happened if she hadn’t sat down and made a list of goals.

With her husband, Taylor has written the book, Pen to Paper: Helping You Build a Life That Matters, featuring creative writing exercises designed to provide clarity and direction to assist readers find a more fulfilling life.

One exercise listed in the 124-page book is a three-step activity titled “Mantra.” It requires readers to list three unique qualities about themselves, discuss how they enjoy expressing these qualities, and then describe what they would do in a perfect world with those qualities. After completing these steps, readers are asked to create mission statements to pursue.

“It is good to keep a record of your goals so you can look back at them and also check them off when you finish your goals,” Taylor said. “There is a great sense of accomplishment when you complete something.”

For her achievement of receiving a doctoral degree while raising four boys, Taylor was featured in the Monroe Evening News. That article received more than 16,500 likes on Facebook.

“I realized at that moment that it inspired a lot more people than I could ever imagine,” she said.

Pen to Paper can be purchased at amazon.com/Pen-Paper-Helping-Build-Matters/dp/1494317478.

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