When you are on the goal setting journey, you WILL suffer from the inevitable setbacks. Those setbacks are a normal part of the process of expanding and growing as a person and should be treated as such. Easier said than done, right?! Being able to endure setbacks, and even embrace them as a valuable learning experience, will go a long way towards making the process of achieving your goals faster and easier.
When we deny the setbacks, we are also denying the opportunity to learn from the lessons they have to offer. If we resent these temporary road blocks, we can create our own misery and lose momentum. This often begins with stories in our heads telling ourselves about the way things “should be”. Anybody who sets out to achieve a goal will already have a story and a narrative in their mind describing exactly how they want things to go, and how they feel things should work.
Any setback that you encounter will inevitably challenge this story, so the key is to create a flexible story that can be challenged without falling completely apart. The key is in adjusting your sails so that no matter what is thrown at you, you can come back.
Become stronger and smarter about the process than you were before.
These lessons will also sort the wheat from the chaff and show you your mettle so you’ll learn what you’re made of! You’ll see how quickly you can come back and whether you can come back with enthusiasm and determination. You’ll learn whether the desire for the end goal is strong enough to carry you through the challenges that occur. And remember that everyone has these challenges, and only those who are able to rise above them will succeed.
It’s okay for you to decide that the goal isn’t worth the trouble, but you need to be honest with yourself and absolutely clear that you’re not simply giving up because things got rough! Nothing worth doing ever came easy, and when you consider all the things you’ve done in your life, haven’t the really rewarding things you’ve accomplished all come with a bit of challenge?
Think of the stories you’ll be able to tell about the problems that arose, and how you solved them and rose above them! This can be very motivating and inspirational to those around you, as well, so your journey isn’t really just your own. There is a ripple effect that is important to consider as well. You can become a role model of success for your friends and family to aspire too; how’s that for stroking your ego?!
It is a great thing to set goals and start off on the journey towards their achievement, so long as you’re aware that you’ll need flexibility to endure the hard times, and the motivation and momentum to bounce back and get back on the proverbial horse again!
There is no greater pleasure than achieving a goal, and when the journey there has allowed you to grow as a person, it’s an even sweeter ending. So grit your teeth, knuckle down and keep grinding until you get there, but also allow yourself to enjoy the process and reward yourself when you do overcome these obstacles! Keep hustling!
