Monday Motivation: “It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out. It’s the pebble in your shoe.” – anonymous
Do you struggle to reach your goals?
Every year, millions of people set big goals for the New Year. Every year, before the end of the first month, millions of goals lie scattered and crushed along the side of the road.
Some people will tell you the goals were too big. The impossible tasks were so daunting people never started. Those people would be right.
Some people will tell you the goals were too vague. There were no definitive starting points or finish lines, so they never went anywhere. Those people would be right.
Some people will tell you there was too much before work that had to be done before the pursuit of goals could begin. Those people would be right.
Whatever the reason behind the lack of goal pursuit, it is right – and it is wrong.
Why Do It?
A newlywed woman began preparing dinner for a gathering she and her husband were hosting. Money was tight, and they were trying to be wise in their spending, but they had agreed to splurge on a nice roast for the meal.
The husband was shocked when he came into the kitchen and saw a large portion of the roast cut off and set to the side. “Why did you do that?” He asked.
The wife shrugged. “It’s the way my mother always did it.”
“Isn’t it a waste?”
“It’s just what has to be done.” She went on preparing the meal.
“But why?”
“You’d have to ask my mother.”
The husband had to know the reason, so he called up his new mother-in-law. “Why do you cut the end off the roast?”
“It’s the way my mother did it,” came her vague (and a bit annoying) answer.
“But why?” He still needed to know.
“You’ll have to ask my mother.”
The husband wasn’t ready to give in. He called his new grandmother-in-law. “Why do you cut the end off the roast?”
“It’s the way I was taught. You cut the end off, you season the meat on all sides, and you slow cook to perfection.”
It was more information than he had gotten but still didn’t explain what he really wanted to know. “But why?”
“You’d have to ask my mother.”
Fortunately for the now frustrated new husband, the great-grandmother was still alive. He had to wait a few days to visit because she didn’t like to talk on the phone. After some pleasantries, he got to the question that had been nagging him. “Why do you cut the end off the roast?”
She looked confused, and he wondered for a moment if she would be able to understand what he needed. Then she smiled. “When I was first married, we were given a small roasting pan. Because it was only the two of us, it was perfect. As our family grew, I never traded up on the pan, but the roasts got larger. Eventually, I had to cut the end off and save it for another meal because the pan was too small for the roast.”
Finding a Reason
Any reason will work if you want a reason not to do something. You do it because someone else did it. You do it because you don’t want to get a new pan. You do it because it’s easier than doing something new.
There will always be a reason to not pursue your goals.
You have to make the intentional choice to pursue your goals DESPITE the reasons presented.
The reasons are the little things holding you back from living your awesome life.
A man went for a hike to the top of the largest mountain in his country. He had planned the trip for weeks, taking off from work, paying a guide, and packing the perfect gear. Any reason will work if you want a reason not to do something.
He took a few steps and stopped. A pebble had become logged inside his boot and made it uncomfortable to walk. “I guess I can’t do this.”
He turned around and went home.
Why didn’t he just take a moment to remove his boot and remove the pebble?
It’s the same reason so many never pursue their goals.
Finding a Way
You may have heard the saying, “where there is a will, there is a way.” If you are willing to get it done, and you determine to get it done, then you will find a way to get it done.
Anyone that doubts this has never tried to keep cookies from a determined child.
Want the goals.
It’s not enough to set a goal, you have to truly want it. It has to be for you and not for someone else. When you want your goal, then you will find a way to get it.
Believe you can.
You have to be able to see yourself reaching the goal or crossing the finish line. It has to be so firmly planted in your psyche that nobody and nothing can talk you out of it.
Be willing to go.
A goal set becomes a delusion when actions aren’t taken. You have to go if you are going to get there and you are the only one who can go. Purposeful actions are always required to reach your goals.
You have it in you to live your awesome life. It happens one choice at a time, one step at a time, and one little bit at a time. But it only happens if you dare to make it happen.
Are you stopping because of a pebble?
Challenge: Get the reasons out of your way and see what amazing things you can do.
Are you ready to build your awesome life? We’re here to help.
Join us over at WPprosper for more support on facing down fear, finding your focus, and living your awesome life.
