Tag Archives: endurance

Place Your Goals Under Arrest!

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As we prepare for the Christmas holiday and the end of the year, many of us may be measuring how successful we’ve been in achieving our goals.  If you haven’t experienced the growth you expected this year, it’s time to figure out what’s really holding you back.  We all start out the year with great intentions, and I would even venture to say that most of us even have the appropriate level of commitment in the beginning.  However, something happens and we allow outside forces to stop us from continuing to pursue our goals or we are stopped by something within us.

I have recently been reading a book titled, An Enemy Called Average, and in one section of the book, the author has a list of questions that he charges the reader to answer.  While reflecting on the things that often stop me when I think I’ve hit a stride, I decided to raise the following questions to you:

  1. What one decision would you make if you knew that you would not fail?  –  FEAR
  2. What one thing should you eliminate from your life because it’s holding you back from reaching your full potential?  –  DISTRACTIONS
  3. What good thing have you committed to do that you’ve quit doing?  –  ENDURANCE
  4. How have the people you respect earned your respect?  –  RELATIONSHIPS
  5. What are your gifts, talents and strengths?  –  PURPOSE

Take some time and answer these questions for yourself.  In your responses, I’m sure that you will find the answer to what’s holding you back.  Next to each question, I’ve listed a factor that has to be addressed if you want to achieve success.  Let’s take a closer look below:

FEAR – At some point, we all have dealt with the fear of failure.  F.E.A.R. is merely false evidence appearing real.  However, when we experience it, it feels very real.  Make a commitment to yourself to move in spite of the fear.

DISTRACTIONS – I know that I’m not sharing any breaking news when I say that life moves at a rapid pace and is often full of distractions.  To achieve anything in life, you have to learn to move past life’s distractions.

CONFIDENCE – Become your own cheerleader.  There will be times when you may be disappointed to find out that the people you thought were in your corner are not.  Naysayers are a reality, but you have to believe in yourself and know that the naysayers can’t keep you from your destiny.

ENDURANCE – I think endurance and consistency go hand in hand.  Don’t worry if you find yourself falling short in this area because endurance is developed over time; you have to work at it.  No one runs a marathon without practicing.  The same concept applies when we set out to accomplish our goals.  The more we work at it, the more endurance we’ll build over time.

RELATIONSHIPS – If you’ve followed my blog, you’re familiar with the phrase, “iron sharpens iron.”  Check the company that you’re keeping.  If they are not goal oriented, it very well may be the reason you’re having trouble achieving your own.

PURPOSE – This is merely my opinion, but if your goals are not aligned with your purpose, you may have a difficult time reaching them.  I think our inner-compass prevents us from moving forward.  If you feel like a hamster on a wheel, it may be time to assess if your goals are derailing the journey to your destiny.

There’s officially one month left in 2011.  If you have fallen short in accomplishing your goals, spend some time reflecting on the questions included in this post and make a commitment to start again.  In the book, An Enemy Called Average, the author states, “Thoughts lead to purposes; purposes go forth in action; actions form habits; habits decide character; and character fixes our destiny.”  Let’s adopt this principle, recalibrate and try, try again.

Clean Your Lense

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Are you experiencing the woes of life?  Perhaps you are someone that is currently employed but miserable?  Do you feel trapped and afraid to say anything because you don’t want to hear:  “You should be thankful you have a job…”?  Or, maybe you know someone who bounces around from job to job; they always seem to find a reason for moving on.   

Our jobs, relationships, and life in general are all viewed through a lense.  Unfortunately, because of past hurts and experiences, your lense can become very cloudy.  The lense that I am describing is your perception – how you process your life experiences.  Because we are imperfect people, we should not expect perfection in life.  This is not to say that you shouldn’t strive to be your best, but we must understand that records are made to be broken, and your way is not the only way.  When you begin to feel overwhelmed with life; the first thing you should do before making life changing decisions is “clean” your lense.  The following four steps will help you keep a healthy perception and position you to know when it’s time to move on:

  1. Acknowledge Your Blessings – No matter how bleak your situation may seem, I guarantee you there is someone worse off than you.  Even if you find yourself miserable on your job, the fact that you have a job is a reason to be thankful.  You are entitled to your feelings, but remember the lens that I referenced above?  If you view your job as a blessing, over time, the things that you hate may become a bit more tolerable.  This is true about relationships too.  Even a diamond has to be cleaned from time to time to see the radiant sparkle that we’ve all come to know and appreciate.  If you find yourself complaining or unhappy with your circumstances, take a paper and pen and write down at least three things that you are thankful for.  Reflecting on our blessings helps us to keep life in perspective.   Don’t limit yourself to three; write as many as you can as often as needed.
  2. Count the Costs – Have you ever had a co-worker or boss that you simply wanted to “let go” on – I mean you really wanted to let them have it?  Or, maybe you’ve had enough of your job and you want to walk out the door and never look back.  Before you act, please count the costs.  A close friend always says:  “Is being right worth the cost?”  This is not to say that you don’t speak up when you’ve been wronged, but you must acknowledge that it may cost you something.  In situations when emotions are heated, walk away, regroup, and approach the situation logically.  Believe me; I know this is easier said than done, but acting with a “hot head” often leads to regret. 
  3. Create A Life Plan – In his book, The E-Myth, Michael E. Gerber says, “I believe it’s true that the difference between great people and everyone else is that great people create their lives actively, while everyone else is created by their lives, passively waiting to see where life takes them next.”  When you have a life plan, the job becomes more tolerable because you understand it’s a means to an end.  The boss or co-worker that you can’t seem to get along with doesn’t seem to bother you as much because you understand that they do not control your destiny.  In essence, you understand your job is not the end destination, but a resource that will help you meet your goals.  As you develop your life plan, make sure you consider family, spiritual, wealth, health, and career.  It’s up to you to prioritize the categories, but a well thought out plan will include them all.
  4. Be Patient – I know we’ve all heard the saying that “patience is a virtue”.  Practice being patient.  If things seem to be taking longer than you anticipated, there’s likely a reason.  It could be that you need to experience growth in certain areas.  For instance, that co-worker that annoys you may be teaching you how to manage relationships.  The boss that is a perfectionist and critical may be strengthening your competency skills.  Look beyond the person and seek to understand the experience. 

The four steps noted above will help you keep a clear perception.  When your lense is clean, you are more aware of when it’s time to move on.  Make no mistake, there are times when it is simply time to move on, but that’s not the case every time.  If you “run” every time things get tough, you limit your ability to grow.  To build endurance, you have to push through the trial.  However, we cannot recapture time spent; make sure you understand why you’re enduring a situation.  If you are practicing the steps above and cannot articulate the lesson in the experience, it may be time to explore other options.  If you can relate to the questions that were asked at the beginning of this Post, take a moment and “clean” your lense.