Grave Matters
Grave Matters follows families who found in “green” burial a more natural, more economic, and ultimately more meaningful alternative to the tired and toxic send-off offered at the local funeral parlor.
Eschewing chemical embalming and fancy caskets, elaborate and costly funerals, they have embraced a range of natural options, new and old, that are redefining a [...]
Goals and Obstacles
Did you set goals last year and not achieve them? What obstacles prevented you from achieving your goals? Have you come up with a game plan on how you’re going to deal with those barriers in the new year? If not, you’ll be frustrated again with your lack of progress. It’s time to get a clear vision for the new year.
One thing that is inevitable when it comes to goals is obstacles, but why do some people make up their minds to achieve something and do it, while others let themselves be controlled by obstacles?
I used to live in a small house that had no dishwasher. I hate the sight of dirty dishes so I’ve always done my washing up right away. However, in this little house I found that I hated doing the dishes with a passion. When I came home, I typically used the kitchen entrance and there they would be –- waiting for me like moldy old friends.
I tried to analyze why I developed this aversion to dish washing. I came to realize that I was physically uncomfortable standing at the sink. There was a vent directly under my feet so it hurt to stand there. The double sink itself was shallow so it seemed full with only a few plates. The position of the faucet was awkward and caused me to constantly bang dishes into it when I washed them. All these obstacles combined to make me hate doing the dishes.
I removed all the obstacles with one trip to my local home store. I had a deeper double sink installed with a goose neck faucet so I wouldn’t bang things into it. I put a mat over the vent. Not just any mat –- one of those made for people who stand for long periods.
Many people wouldn’t have spent the money on a rental home, but it was worth it to me since I knew I’d live there for several years. What I learned from this experience is to analyze your situation and work relentlessly to remove obstacles.
What are some of the typical obstacles when it comes to setting goals? Without a doubt, fear is the biggest of them all. Fear can initially get you going because you don’t want to fail, but it won’t keep you going. What would your life look like if you achieved what you want? What would you have to give up? Who would you have to leave behind? It can be scary.
A close second is procrastination. Tomorrow will never come if you are a procrastinator. Remember Wimpey from the Popeye cartoon? I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today. Don’t be a Wimpey — you’re just cheating yourself of your dreams.
Procrastination requires a support group. Involve family and friends to help keep you accountable. Support lets you know that people who care about you are watching.
The flip side of procrastination is simply losing interest in your goal. If you procrastinate long enough, something else will come along to divert your interest — or the naysayers have finally taken their toll.
What do you do when the thrill is gone? Diagnose the problem. Have you truly lost interest or is something pushing you towards that end? Maybe a new direction on the same goal is in order. Instead of getting a degree, take course at the local community college — just don’t give up.
Perhaps the most serious obstacle is negative self-talk. You probably don’t even realize that you are doing it. Remember the brain accepts whatever programming we give it. So if we tell it something often enough and strongly enough, it will take action and make it happen.
The antidote to negative self-talk is positive self-talk. It requires effort on our part to notice when we are thinking negatively so learn to recognize it. If necessary, write positive affirmations on a piece of paper. Say them aloud and tape them to the bathroom mirror. Read them while brushing your teeth.
When you achieve your goal, you’ll look back and realize you learned a few things about resiliency and overcoming obstacles.
Agree or disagree?
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Carolin-
Glad you found it useful
ReplyThis is a great article! And so relevant in 2 ways. As great way to start 2010. And to remind us to challenge ourselves in times of financial insecurity.
Carolins last blog post..New York Day Spa, the Perfect Gift to the Woman You Love
ReplyThis probably explains why people self-sabotage. Good article.
ReplyGreat article, great story – I was hooked.
Andrew
greatmanagements last blog post..How To Be An Expert Persuader
ReplyNice article, thanks. One other reason why people don’t achieve their goal is that they are not hurting enough where they are at the moment or they are just too comfortable. With every goal you set it is important you decide on the WHY. If the why is strong enough it is much easier to achieve a goal.
Click A Life Coachs last blog post..Keep Dreaming
ReplyTrue, it has to hurt enough for you to really want it.
ReplyIf you’d like a tool for setting your goals, you can use this web application:
http://www.Gtdagenda.com
You can use it to manage your goals, projects and tasks, set next actions and contexts, use checklists, schedules and a calendar.
ReplyA mobile version is available too.
Just about any business you start is going to take a ton of work and dedication. But I know for a fact that a woodworking business can be profitable. I know a guy in our small community who basically owns the market on cabinet making. People come from the big city to the small town for his cabinets.
ReplyProcrastination is a lot like credit, sooner or later you must pay your debt, or in the case of procrastination, one must face what they put off. One thing that helps me is to organize things that need to get done in a personal scheduler, and stick to it. No excuses.
ReplyWays to stop procrastination´s last undefined ..If you register your site for free at
For me, Being successful is all about I can have a good food 3 time a day, have good healty body, have good family and sleep well.
This is all I want in this life. I wonder why everyone want too much money. When you die you can bring it with you.
ReplyBoma@Carpet Shampooer´s last blog ..What will happen if Your Carpet is Dirty?
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