The beginning of each year brings the opportunity for planned personal or professional change. The challenge to those who want to improve aspects of your life is to have clarity, stay the course, celebrate each day that actions are taken in furtherance of your goals, and have the courage to make course corrections when our change methods are not working.
If we are clear in what we want, there is a greater likelihood of success. If we have the courage to put the goals in writing (which is one of the most important steps in changing) and the self-discipline to stay the course even when the excitement and enthusiasm wear off, our success is more assured.
What is the secret to goal achievements? Why do some people succeed where others falter? Why so some people seem so confident in their ability to get what they want? The secret is that there is no secret. The success factor depends not upon one’s circumstances but upon what one is willing to do in the circumstances.
The people who succeed while facing small or large obstacles are those who become engaged and emotionally invested in their goals. They focus like a laser beam upon their desires and plan of actions. They are persistent, even when faced with obstacles, and they continue to maintain a “can-do attitude.”
The biggest obstacle that each of us face is our own lack of self-discipline. We can find many other things to do rather than work on our self-improvement plan. When we lack the self-discipline it is often because we really don’t want to achieve a particular goal, at least not enough to fight the inertia that we inevitably experience.
When the excitement of setting goals has worn off and the true work begins, we may find our enthusiasm has also waned. It takes self-discipline to keep our enthusiastic mind-set turned on and turned up. A true, genuine, and heartfelt desire for a particular change in our lives is of paramount importance; otherwise a goal becomes merely a wish because of emotional, physical and mental laziness.
The question for the week for those who are contemplating or planning changes is, “Why do I want this change and how will it improve my life?”
Affirmation for the Week:
I welcome changes and I use my tools of self-discipline, focus, and enthusiasm to create a better life for myself.
Have a contemplative week!