“Here is Edward Bear coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump on the back of his head behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming down stairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it.” —A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh.
Are you falling into passive mediocrity at work or in your life? I know this may sound simple but you need to stop and contemplate exactly what you want and make a plan so that you will no longer sleepwalk through your days.
IF YOU WANT SOMETHING, DO SOMETHING.
What humans have accomplished came as a result of identifying problems, finding solutions, discovering that those solutions created problems, and then finding ways to solve the new problems which boils down to creating a plan and taking action.
We know in our business processes that any potentially effective problem-solving process involves recognizing the problem, defining the outcome (goal), and planning what to do about it. For our own goals it is no different – It also requires that we develop an understanding of how we block ourselves from achieving our goals and how to get unblocked. It also includes the desire to change, getting involved in the process of change, and restrictions. In other words you stick to activities that lead to your goal. J. Paul Getty said: “The individual who wants to reach the top in business must appreciate the might and force of habit. He must be quick to break those habits that can break him–and hasten to adopt those practices that will become the habits that help him achieve the success he desires.”
Why is it then that so few set goals and maintain them (yet those few are the ones that achieve sustainable success). Much of it is because we allow day-to-day frustrations to rule our way of being. In Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, Gulliver woke up one morning and found himself tied to the ground by thousands of small threads attached the night before by tiny people called Lilliputians. The story of Gulliver’s encounter with the Lilliputians suggests a universal human experience. Many of us at times feel like Gulliver— bound by restraints and frustrations. While no one “thread” can tie us down, collectively they can.
And while major life frustrations, such as the loss of a valued relationship, can prove especially frustrating, research has shown that the little frustrations of life, such as being stuck in traffic or missing the train, can accumulate and affect our physical as well as our emotional well-being.
Goals help you overcome these daily frustrations, they give structure and organized direction to your life. Just identifying two or three important results in the areas of your life you wish to accomplish provides you with a purpose and sense of direction.
Without purpose our minds are dulled by the ‘ordinariness’ of our days. A mind without inspiration or purpose falls into accepting a mediocre, unsatisfied life which is also one of the biggest contributors of frustration with yourself and those around you – are you really a good boss, partner, parent, friend when the little things frustrate you?
Achieving small steps in your purpose (or life goals) increases happiness, well being, satisfaction and self-confidence, which motivates you to do more and makes you more enjoyable to be around.
People are biologically hard-wired to feel happier when they recognize they have some sense of control and choice over their lives, which is what setting goals and taking action gives them. They change from feeling like victims of life’s circumstances, or at best passive bystanders, into someone who knows they can make a difference.
“You can’t just sit there and wait for people to give you that golden dream; you’ve got to get out there and make it happen for yourself.” —Diana Ross
An Executive Coach's Thoughts 