There is one thing that I believe is vitally important if we are to reach for our dreams. It is not something that fits into the SMART acronym for goal setting. When we set goals for ourselves there is an expectation when we set them that they will be accomplished. That the goals we have specified, measured and set out to accomplish will one day become reality. This confidence is fine and good and encouraged, get out there and make those dreams come true! That confidence can also be a very sharp double edged sword, one that is just as likely to cut the one holding it.
We have all been there, the scale that won’t budge in the direction we want. The writing project that just stalls for no reason. The exercise program derailed by work and bad weather. Often I have seen people get up and leave their goals behind when things get tough. I think this is because we expect ourselves to be perfect. We want to hit every single one of our mini goals, when we take stock of how well we are progressing we want to measure up. That’s jus not always possible. Sometimes (or in my case, often) you will fail to hit a goal and it will suck, you might even think to yourself that this was all a waste of time. You could have watched that Netflix show everyone is talking about or enjoyed a second pizza. Often what I find myself doing is doubling my efforts. I will write for an hour! Or I will lose twice the weight next month. This doubling down is a trap, one that will eventually put enough strain on the dream and the dreamer that they will eventually feel like it is impossible and just give up.
We have to go into this crazy chase after our dreams, knowing that we will not always measure up. We have to be willing to take a deep breath and instead of doubling down and giving up, we have to be willing to let go. We need to say to ourselves that this is hard and that it is ok to fail. We have to be willing to fall down before we can stand. To trip before we can run. When we reach for our dreams there is always a chance that it will fail. This is ok. This is expected.
The dreamer is not measured in their successes but in their willingness to get up and keep trying. To keep reaching even though it is hard. We have to be willing to forgive ourselves when we fail. We have to be willing to sit down and ask why a goal is not getting met. To be willing to ask how we can adjust our plans to ensure success and not frustration.
I will have a whole month dedicated to this concept coming up, but know that we all make mistakes. This blog post is a mistake! Last weeks post was to be the coclusion of this months posts. Somehow I got on the wrong schedule and when I posted the final blog for January I discovered we still had another week to go! No one is immune from mistakes or failures, it’s what we do with these terrible gifts that matter. Forgive your mistakes. Adjust your plans. Keep chasing your dreams.