In today’s quote, Henry Miller claims everyone has a destiny. If it is true, that can be a scary proposition. If life isn’t going the way we hoped, if we are going through a tough time right now, we tend to believe that is our lot in life and to just accept it.
But should we? If our vision and values are misaligned with our current situation, should we just accept that’s the way things are?
When we start a project, we are excited about the possibilities. Something new can give us a jolt of adrenaline and give us a new passion for the days ahead. But how do we keep our interest strong when we are in the middle of a tough, drawn-out slough?
“The whole secret of life is to be interested in one thing profoundly and in a thousand things well.”
Horace Walpole
This time of year, high school seniors are well into “senioritis.” They can see that the end is in sight, but the distance between March and May feels like a million miles away. We have all been there. I was probably thinking about this when I wrote this post on postponing school for lack of interest.
How do you keep your interest strong when a project takes longer than the enthusiasm it initially produced?
In the book The ONE Thing, by Gary Keller, the author states that the reason many projects fail is that we don’t focus our energy on the one big goal that matters.
Distractions can take us off course very quickly. The tyranny of urgent matters gets in the way of the big goal that is important but doesn’t seem as urgent when the result is months out.
Focus on the one big goal and visualize what it will be like when we hit that goal.
Why is this project or goal so important? What results will it bring when it is achieved? When we achieve it, how will it make us feel?
We can get bogged down in the how of a goal and lose sight of the reason we started it in the first place. In Start with Why, Simon Sinek reminds us that when we know why we are doing something, it is tremendously motivational.
Every long-term project has a messy middle. We get excited at the beginning and rejoice when the goal is achieved. But in the middle are many obstacles, detours, and frustrations. If it was easy, someone else would have done it already, right?
Any worthy project will have a messy middle. We can acknowledge we are there, focus on the goal and remember the why. It can get us through challenging times.
Today may be messy. We may be distracted for a moment. But keep going! Whether we have senioritis, a cumbersome project, or a life stage that seems to drag on forever, we can keep motivated and keep moving towards a worthy goal.
Yesterday, Autumn made it clear it was here to stay. There was a dusting of snow on the ground and the wind was stiff. Bob Segar’s, Against the Wind came to mind. For the first time this season, I didn’t run in shorts. My legs thanked me. I searched for a pair of running gloves and a warm hat.
Depending on the direction I ran, the wind made me cold. I was glad for the gloves, warm hat, and jacket. It made things doable. When my back to the wind, I was tempted to think I didn’t need any of the warmer clothing. It was easy to think it was all overkill. But a sudden gust or change in direction soon proved me wrong.
My reward was the last few bursts of autumn color, and a cup of hot coffee and breakfast when I was done. Getting the courage to go out can be a challenge, but I am always glad I did.
When we face any venture, we will have resistance like the wind. Yesterday’s run reminded me of the following:
When you’re facing resistance, be prepared, face it, and enjoy the experience on the other side. It’s worth it!
There are obstacles, and there are goals. Obstacles are all around us and easy to spot.
Nobody has a problem spotting obstacles.
Goals are harder to see. They require some trailblazing. Yes, may ask you to boldly go where no one has gone before. They can be part of a vision that is unique to you, your family, and your situation. Goals make us reach for something that may feel out of reach. And they may inspire you to go around, over, or through an obstacle.
We will always have obstacles. But not everyone has goals. We will always have things that frustrate us. But not everyone has a vision that will help them see beyond today.
Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eye off the goal.
E. Joseph Cossman
Mr. Cossman was an interesting guy. He would see an opportunity, then act on it. He perfected mail-order marketing and pioneered infomercials. He sold such items as “shrunken heads,” spud guns, and ant farms. Later in life, he would teach and inspire others to sell and market their products.
He saw an opportunity where others saw obstacles. That’s what a goal will do for you and me. It’s too easy to see the problems and bad news in the world. You don’t even need to look for it. It will come to you. It takes special effort to define goals and look beyond the everyday obstacles of life.
Sooner or later, you will have second thoughts about an action. Maybe things aren’t going as smoothly as you hoped. Maybe the excitement of a new idea wears out and the hard work continues.