Go Straight For The Goal
From A to B in a Straight Line
By Thea Westra
There are actions that will move you directly to your intended target and those actions that will give the appearance of producing results.
Do you even know the results produced by the actions you take? Do you have a clear sense of moving closer to the target? Do you feel empowered by the activities that you undertake each day? Are you left feeling exhausted from much activity yet feel like they're a drop in the bucket compared to what you know is possible?
Once during a personal development program in which I was participating, the head coach asked me to sit down with her at breakfast on one of our training weekends.
I was asked how everything was going and if I was producing great results in the area to which I was committed. I was nowhere near my intended target!
My coach then asked me to move a vase of flowers in the middle of the table. After I did this, she replied. “See how easy and simple that was? However, that's not what you do, Thea. You spend a lot of time shuffling the cutlery, moving the plates and cups and rearranging placemats on the table. Then you watch and hope like crazy, that the vase of flowers will move!"
That conversation was a wake up call and it's one that I've never forgotten.
Today, when I see that not much is moving or the results that I want are not being produced, I take a look at the activities that fill my days and then get honest with myself.
This is what integrity is all about. Declare one thing and align everything in your environment to match it. Actions is just one of those to align; structures, systems, people, conversations, thoughts and habits are a few of the others.
If things are not going quite the way that you intended, stop and check in with yourself. Go for the straight line from point A to point B. The squiggly path is so costly and painful. Or else - drop the goal. Perhaps it's not one for which you personally have an interest in pursuing. It may simply be that you've included it in your life because someone else thinks it'd be a good idea for you.
Thea Westra
2006©Thea Westra is an international life coach who resides in Perth, Australia. She is editor and publisher of a free, monthly newsletter which you can receive by going to her website http://www.forwardsteps.com.au
She also publishes a blog called Triggers
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thea_Westra
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posted by Al Smith at 10:24 PM
2 Comments:
I can see myself in this so well. I know I am not alone in this situation, but it seems so strange to feel as if I am working toward something only to be getting nowhere at times.
Closely related to this is another situation where we tend to branch out to other things we can do as well.
As a writer, I see it happen all the time. I take one small break to bring the trashcans in, I see the grass by the fence needs cutting. So I do that, only to find that I may as well cut the rest of the yard. Which leads to finding out I need gas for the mower, which leads to seeing the car needs gas, and may as well wash the car while I am out there.
Long scene made short, by time I get done cutting the grass, it's time for supper and there just isn't time for me to get back to the writing project I started some 10 hours earlier.
It does take time to train ourselves to focus on what needs to be done and truly do that before branching out. The KISS method is still the best thing around.
Keep it simple stupid.
Thanks for posting the article Al. You are one goal getting guru.
David
the Unmotivated Motivational Writer
Hi David,
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
I think we all have this challenge to a degree. I guess that when we are conscious of the fact that we are allowing ourselves to be distracted from our main goal, we can correct sooner than we otherwise might have. And that's the whole point isn't it, to adjust and move forward?
As far as being a "goal getter guru", you do me too much credit my friend. I am just a fellow traveller on this road of life and I am vulnerable to distraction as much as anyone else. (Heck, half of my posts are made because I found the information useful in my life, so I "get" it more myself.)
Again, thanks for stopping by.
For others who might not have "met" David yet, you can stop by his blog at: Get Out Of Your Way. It's a good read, you'll see.
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