Well…we’ve come to the final quarter of 2016. How did this happen? It seems we were just beginning the first quarter. Now the end is on the horizon.
And along with the approach of the year’s end come the questions about how it went.
How did you do?
Did you accomplish your goals?
What went right?
What went wrong?
Are you better off than you were last year this time?
Some of us may be hearing our dreams and goals doing a Janet Jackson karaoke singing, “What have you done for me lately? Uuuuu Uuuuu Uuuuu Uuuuu.”
I like to think of questions as opportunities to notice, to tune in. The challenge is that most of us are programmed to focus on that one or two things that went wrong.
We see it all the time. Someone will find the one error, the one mistake and focus on that while neglecting the of the big beautiful picture or long lists of accomplishments.
It’s a fast way to stick a pin in your achievement balloon.
It’s a fast way to make you forget that you’ve got something unique and special to offer.
Yep. It’s a high-powered water hose on your inner flame. You’ve got steam where your fire used to be.
You may not be exactly where you wanted to be on every project by this time of year. I’m not. Nope. Some things are not on the timeline that I imagined.
Did I make progress?
Absolutely.
Did I go off, get pulled off or slide off track a few times?
Uh huh.
Do I understand more of the shifting pieces and intricacies that I need to coordinate in order to move projects forward?
For sure.
Am I still moving toward my goals?
Ain’t no stopping me now.
I’m reminded of the story of the tortoise and the hare.
The tortoise makes it across the finish line.
It’s a slower, calculated path.
But it ends in a win.
I like what Adam Grant says in his TED Talk on original thinkers (See the link below):
“The greatest originals are the ones who fail the most because they’re the ones who try the most.”
“Originals are not that different from the rest of us. They feel fear and doubt. They procrastinate. They have bad ideas.”
“It’s not in spite of those qualities but because of them that they succeed.
You can motivate yourself by doubting your ideas and embracing the fear of failing to try.”
“Being quick to start but slow to finish can boost your creativity.”
So this week, I invite you to think about how you want to end this year. But don’t stop at the things you want to check off your TO DO List.
Think about how you want to feel at the end of this year. My guess is that somewhere inside you is a desire for peace of mind, hope, joy, passion, creativity, determination, courage, and/or faith.
What will you do in the moments that we have left to create that feeling? How can you get peaceful about the goals that are on the tortoise path?
Make a list of 3 – 5 strategies that you can use. Here are three of my favorites for creating peacefulness around my goals:
Make positive coping statements – I say to myself, “Take a breath. Notice what you’ve done then choose one thing you can do now to move forward”.
Envision the feeling – I allow myself to experience what it will feel like when I accomplish my goal.
Connect to my truth – I remember how the goal is connected to my purpose and the greater good that I want to create in my life.
You are an original innovator creating work and impact that extend beyond you. As you go about doing your business and taking care of business, allow yourself to feel who you really want to be in this world.
If you need support, contact us. The Living Source is here to help you plug in to the power of you.
© Sandra Y. Lewis