Motivational Monday: Goals Part 2

Somewhere in your life, written in bold letters on a sheet of paper that is taped some place you see regularly, is a single goal (you set all that up last Monday, right???). I'm sure it looks absolutely fantastic just hanging on a wall somewhere, but let's be honest, just writing down a goal and having it stare at you each morning as you brush your teeth does not guarantee anything.

Defining a goal is like picking a city to travel to. It gives you a direction to start heading in and gives you something to look forward to but, actually reaching your goal, like actually traveling to Paris, requires you to not just set your sites on the horizon, but to also make a plan and take action.

Now, take a moment and ask yourself: What do I need to do to get there? ("There," in this case, is your goal). Break it down--your big goal decomposes into smaller goals. Break those down too--those smaller goals probably breakdown into even smaller ones. Break it down as much as you need to, and at some point you will find that you have a large collection of little steps to follow. Start walking.

That is not to say that after you break your goal down into steps, that the steps will be easy, but they will be manageable. Tedious? Sure. Demanding? Quite possibly so. Sometimes discouraging? No doubt. And this is where people falter. 

"I have to do horse stance every day??? Yeah, that's not happening." 

"Running? Uh-huh..."

"I'm never going to be able to snap like head like that. Never ever. It doesn't matter how much I do it. Never ever."

And that's it. They're done. Goodbye, Goal. Goodbye, Paris. Done before they even left. And the scary part is how easy it is to just give up.

So, how badly do you want it? Because, let's be honest again, you're going to have to want it bad. Want it like it's life or death. Want it like it will define who you are for the rest of your life and beyond. And perhaps it seems overly-dramatic to put it in those terms, but that is how much you will need to want it  if you plan on traveling there by this route.

There are no guarantees. There might not be a prize. Paris could be swallowed up by the earth before you get there. The road could be twisted, lead you through the jungle, under the ocean and over the thinnest of air. Prepare yourself. Realize what you are getting into. Prepare for hardships, exhaustion and pain, and then go and experience all the hardships, exhaustion and pain. And embrace it. Find the joy in it. It takes action to reach your goal. This is action. And it's difficult, time-consuming, tiring. But it's worth it.

So, go! Do not compromise your goals. They may not be all that you are, but they are all you can be.

Happy Monday!