Random Fact: An ant will try and fail over 15 times before accomplishing a task or goal. If a tiny ant can persevere to achieve a simple task, what are you willing to do to achieve yours?
We are two weeks into 2015 and people, in general, are excited about accomplishing new things this year. With every New Year we get motivated about creating and implementing those changes for the first month or so, but somewhere around February we slack off and maybe fall back into doing things the “old way.” After falling off course, people tend to give up or scrap the whole idea of having those goals. Sometimes it’s just easier to not do anything at all and put it off for another time.
But one thing to remember is nothing worth doing ever comes easy. Challenges and distractions are a part of life and your journey, how you respond to those challenges makes the difference of whether you will move forward or not at all.
With big goals comes opposition.
Just think back on those things you have now achieved; there was always a challenge or obstacle that presented itself and you had to make a decision to press forward or quit. For example, when a person gets their Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, it’s not as simple as filling out an application and saying “Hey I got my degree now”, but it takes time, effort, and focus to finish and graduate.
In pursuit of your degree you may have encountered many distractions or challenges like not having enough money to pay for classes or having to take a leave of absence in order to save up money before returning to school. Maybe you had a child or was caring for a family member and needed to learn how to balance those responsibilities along with attending classes. With every challenge a decision was made to stay the course and you MADE IT!When your goal is worth pursuing you PERSEVEREuntil it is completed. Here are three ways to not let challenges get the best of you.
- Don’t Quit – Yeah, I know, easier said than done, right? Not quitting and pressing forward is all about creating an “I’m gonna do this” mindset. When looking at a football or basketball game, we’ve witnessed teams lagging behind (sometimes far behind) but then coming back and winning the game, sometimes in the last few seconds. If a team were to show defeat during the game, then we would never hear or witness those amazing stories of comebacks. Plus, what would be the purpose of continuing as a player if every time you thought you were losing, you quit. Sometimes you have to get yourself in your own personal huddle, give a pep talk and get back in the game.
- Accept the process– Whatever you’re aiming to do, just know there aren’t any short cuts (well there are, but short cuts don’t always reap the benefits you desire) For example, if you’re trying to start your own business, know that in the beginning people may not “blow up” your inbox or ring your phone off the hook to get your services. If you want to lose weight, you already know you can take short cuts with some fast diets, but the outcome is not long-lasting. If or when you become frustrated because results are not happening quickly enough, remember to be gentle with yourself (don’t put yourself down), change your thoughts and keep pushing. Long standing success takes time.
- Take the detour, but head back to the main road– When you’re driving and you see that bright orange sign coming closer saying “DETOUR” it can cause you to complain. You just want to get where you’re going and not have to drive all around to find the main road again. Detours catch you off guard, makes traveling longer, interrupts your flow and can change a cool, calm demeanor into anxious, annoyed, and sometimes even upset. But let’s try to look at detours, as temporary roadblocks or setbacks. Don’t scrap something you’ve been working on or your vision because of a minor or even major life setback. Deal with the issue head on and proceed back to your goal. Every now and then detours help you gain a new perspective on a situation or leads you to the necessary people who will support you along the way. Try not to become so upset with change that you miss the lesson(s) that’ll help once you’re back on the main road again.
Watch this short clip below. Steve Harvey makes a great point about the road to success.
I hope this is helpful as you pursue your goals this year. Big goals +Focus+ Perseverance = Success
Don’t let your goals go unfulfilled in 2015. As a Personal Coach, I am here to partner with you to achieve what you desire in this year.
Click Here to schedule a time with me to further discuss those things you set out to do this year and feel free to leave a comment.
Make it a good one,
Raphaela
My ultimate goal is to empower professional women to lead a life using their God-given gifts, develop their unique leadership skills and equipping them with the tools to do so.