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On the Way

30 Aug

When we’re trying to be the very best we can be and do things well it can be hard to accept when things don’t work out. When we’re trying hard to excel it’s disappointing when we miss the mark we’re aiming for. It would be great if everything came to us easily and every project was successful but that’s not real life. We all have shortcomings and weaknesses. Nobody is perfect and even if we really want to achieve sometimes we will come up short. It’s hard to accept that we can’t do everything the first time we try especially if what we’re trying to do is important to us. But there are endless versions in life and if one plan doesn’t work, we can try another. We’re constantly changing and moving toward somewhere else or on the way to a new place. If one road doesn’t take us to our destination, we can try another. We don’t have to give up. Nothing can keep us from where we want to go but we may have to try a few different paths to find success.

The old saying, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,” is helpful. We understand sometimes we have to try a few different ideas before we find the one that works. But if we’ve been trying for a while and still haven’t succeeded we may begin to feel defeated. It’s hard to keep going when the road never seems to end. But if the goal is something we really want to achieve, there is nothing that can keep us from it. We may have to try several different ideas, and it may take us longer than we had planned but it’s still there waiting for us. If we adjust a little and try a different method, we will eventually find success. Anything worth gaining is worth our time. We can take whatever time we need to get there and we can succeed.

This life is constantly in “hurry up” mode. It seems no matter what we’re doing someone expects us to get it done quicker but if we only focus on how long it takes to accomplish a task we may miss all the things we’re learning on the way. We can try to get things done quickly and often we will, but if we focus on getting them done well instead of the time it takes we will be happier with the results in the end. If we rush we may miss subtle clues that can bring us greater success. Doing our best requires our attention. Trying to hurry may get us to the end faster but it probably won’t improve the result. Whatever we’re doing is worth doing well. We can do our best at every step and when we get to the goal we’ll be happy and satisfied with our accomplishment.

Today if you’ve been trying to accomplish something and haven’t succeeded, it is still there for you. Adjust your path and try another road. You don’t have to hurry and the goal is within reach. There is nothing that will stop you from getting there. You have everything you need to succeed. Try again. You’re already on the way and success is just around the corner.

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Not There

20 Jun

When we look at our lives and who we are it’s easy to compare ourselves against others and expectations we haven’t yet achieved.  We can believe we’re not smart enough, not rich enough, and not successful enough, not wise enough and a thousand other things.  Maybe our careers haven’t gone quite the way we thought they would or we haven’t moved as far down the road as we hoped.  Perhaps choices we made didn’t turn out exactly the way we planned or maybe we’ve gotten stuck.  If we focus on all the things we haven’t yet done and all the achievements we haven’t yet conquered we may lose sight of everything we’ve already accomplished.  No matter where we are right now we’re further down the road than we were before.  We’ve achieved a lot already and there is no end to the road.  It will always be a journey and we will always be pushing forward through it.  Success with one goal leads to setting the next one.  It’s important to honor what we’ve learned so far and celebrate our lives where we are right now.  Perhaps we aren’t quite there yet, where we want to be, but we’re on our way.
As we continue striving we can cherish the growth we’ve already achieved.

Comparing ourselves to others is a risky game.  There will always be those who have accomplished more than we have, who are more secure, thinner, wealthier, more successful and all the rest.  Their experiences are unique to them and there is no way to compare what we’re living to the choices and opportunities they have.  We have no idea what they’ve been through or how they got to where they are.  We only see what is on the outside and visible, and there is no way to gauge if their situation really is better than ours or not.  It may look better but looks are often deceiving.  It’s fine to admire what someone else has done, and if it’s something we want to do we can hope and work for the same thing.  But comparing ourselves and our achievements against theirs won’t help us get to where we want to be.

While we’re working on a goal and we’re focused on achieving it complications will probably arise and we may be daunted as we try to move forward.  When that happens, we may forget all the wonderful things we’ve already accomplished.  Although it’s good to push ourselves, we can acknowledge that we have done amazing things already.  We are already accomplished in so many ways.  As we push forward we can remember how much we’ve already achieved and how far we’ve already traveled.  We are worth so much just as we are.  We are a gift to the world and those around us.  As we strive to be more, do more, gain more, and find more, we can remember we already are more and find the confidence to continue forward.

Today if you feel you haven’t done enough and see all the things you aren’t that you want to be and haven’t yet achieved, remember all the things you’ve already accomplished.  You have come so far already.  You have so much to offer and your gift to the world is priceless.  Keep pushing forward but don’t forget how wonderful you are today.

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Burnout

25 May

When we’re committed to a task or something we want to accomplish, we give all we can to the project.  We find time for it and make it a priority.  It becomes important to us and we’re determined to succeed.  But our lives are complex and we always have more than one thing going on.  We can make something a priority but to assume we will give it our complete focus 24 hours a day is unrealistic.  If we attempt to give the goal more energy than is workable we may burnout before we finish.  There are many facets of our lives in play all the time.  Nothing can take 100% of our attention 100% of the time.  It’s just not possible.  To expect that from ourselves or others is not reasonable.  Being committed is important when we want to accomplish something but being realistic in our expectations is important as well.

Burnout is a real possibility when we’re working hard on something.  We can narrow our focus so tightly we forget to do other things that are important.  We may skip meals to save time, forget appointments we need to attend, neglect sleep, and lose track of hours as we push through.  There is nothing wrong with being committed to a project or idea and making it a priority, but determining what is reasonable as we work through it will help us get to the goal more efficiently.  The human mind is a wonderful thing and we are capable of doing almost anything we set our minds to.  However, we must see the entire picture if we want to succeed.  Pushing ourselves beyond our limits generally will not help us achieve the goal faster.  Recognizing what is possible and doing what we can to achieve it is the best we can do.  It’s impossible to give more than we have and we must define where our boundaries lie before we begin.

The expectations of others can bring pressure to perform beyond what is reasonable.  Some will ask for more than is possible perhaps thinking that setting a lofty goal will push us to greater achievement.  When that happens, we may be encouraged to meet timelines that are impossible, or complete tasks that are beyond what can be done.  We may try our best to comply but if the expectation truly can’t be met nothing we do will make it happen.  It can be overwhelming as we try to meet impossible goals.  Despite the demands of others it’s important to understand what is realistic.  If we do our best and the goal is not achieved, we can be confident knowing we did everything possible.  We only fail if we don’t try and we succeed if we do our best, even if the objective isn’t realized.  There is a saying, “Anything is possible,” but that isn’t always true.  Recognizing what is real, what the limitations are, and what is truly possible makes us successful.  And when we do our best we succeed no matter the outcome.

Today if you’ve been trying to do too much and are starting to feel the burn, step back and look at the entire picture.  Determine what can be done and do your best to achieve it.  You can push your limits and still set your goals realistically.  You are capable of accomplishing great things.  Make a workable plan, implement it, and you’ll find success.

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Turn Around

13 May

Many times as we’re pushing forward in our lives and trying to accomplish the next thing, all we can see is what lies ahead.  We rejoice when things go well and we move forward, and struggle when we get hung up.  There is a lot to learn and do and as we continue on the road we focus on getting to the next thing.  As time passes if we stay focused and work hard we accomplish many things but there will always be something more to do.  There are limitless options available to us all the time.  Because of the endless things we could do there may be times when we feel we haven’t done enough, or haven’t accomplished as much as we had hoped.  If all we can see is the road ahead it’s easy to forget where we started and how far we’ve come already.  We can stop at times like those and turn around.  If we look back and see how much we’ve changed and done already our true focus will be restored.  The road is long in both directions – both going forward and going back.  Turning around and seeing where we’ve already traveled will remind us of how much we’ve accomplished, and give us the confidence and courage to continue on.

Ambition is a wonderful thing.  It gets us moving to learn and do new things, and sharpens our desire for change.  Being ambitious prevents us from falling into complacency.  Without it we may choose to coast along and let things play out the way they will.  Unfortunately, if we do that we don’t always end up where we want to be.  So having the desire to shape our own lives and create our own futures drives us to achieve the things we want most.  However, blind ambition isn’t always helpful.  If all we can think about is getting to the next place and everything we do depends on it, we may lose our connection with other things that make us happy.  Most things can’t be achieved overnight, nor do they generally need to be.  But if we’re impatient our ambition to get where we want to be can push us beyond our limits.  Finding a balance between achievement and happiness is important and will ensure that our days are not only successful but happy as well.

Accomplishment in the eyes of the world and in our own perspectives may differ.  What we want to do with our lives may not match what the world values.  But value is defined by what we want to achieve and not what it looks like to others.  Working hard and doing our best in all our endeavors are the most rewarding things we can do.  Remembering how far we’ve come and what we’ve already done will give us the assurance we need that we’re already successful and capable of doing anything we like.  The road is long in both directions.  Remembering how far we’ve traveled already will bless us going forward.

Today if you feel you haven’t done enough or accomplished all you wanted, turn around and look back.  You’ve come a long way and done many things well.  See them and acknowledge all your achievements.  You have everything you need to do anything you want.  You are a great success already.  Keep your eyes on the goal going forward but don’t forget where you’ve been.

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Back and Forth

21 Mar

When we’re trying to accomplish something in our lives, if we want to find success, we have to move forward. We need to look at the situation objectively, weigh our options, and determine the path that will take us where we want to go. But life is full of distractions. There is a lot going on all the time. Other people in our lives have their own goals and interests, and although they may want to support ours, their focus is getting their own accomplishments completed. We can be side tracked when they get involved with us in ways that take our eyes off the road we want to travel. It’s like leaning a ladder up against a building in order to get to the roof, but only stepping on and off the first rung. We go forth and take the first step up, but then something happens and we step back down again to take care of it. Maybe we want to help someone else get something done, or hear something we want to clarify, or remember something we forgot. Back and forth we go, all the while staying busy but going nowhere. We can convince ourselves that because we are moving we are going forward but that isn’t always true. As long we let other things keep us from our goal, we’ll never get past the first rung.

There are a lot of reasons we lose our focus. Sometimes it’s because we aren’t sure we can accomplish the goal we’ve set. We want to, but may feel timid or afraid it might be too hard. We might make plans to go forward and even begin, but because we aren’t really sure we will succeed, are easily distracted and pulled away. We are naturally drawn to situations that make us feel comfortable. If the goal we want is stretching our abilities and we aren’t sure we can move forward, the discomfort of the unknown may move us toward something else. But we can be confident in any decision we make. We are certainly capable of doing anything we really want to do. We can be convinced we will succeed, and when we are, we will move forward. We can take the first step, and then the next, and the next, until we reach our goal.

They say timing is everything, and in a lot of situations that’s true. Sometimes we get stuck going back and forth and not moving forward because our lives aren’t in a place where we’re able to make the changes necessary. If we’re trying to change too much and it’s causing turmoil we can re-think our plan. We can look at the situation again, and determine if we need to wait. If we do, we can decide when we’ll try again, and set the goal aside for now. It doesn’t mean we’re giving up. It means we’re re-tooling to begin again later. We don’t have to accomplish everything today. There is time to get there, and when we’re ready and can successfully move forward, we will. There is no goal beyond our reach. With the proper planning and determination, we can accomplish anything.

Today if you’re frustrated because you haven’t moved forward with a goal you’re trying to achieve, take a look at all the parameters. Is this the best time to move forward? If it is, focus your eyes on the destination and do what is needed to get there. If you need to wait, think about when you can re-visit your plans and start again. There isn’t anything you can’t do. You are more capable than you realize. You can conquer anything. Make a plan that will work and take a step forward. The goal is within your reach. You will achieve it.

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