1001 Ways to Not Accomplish Your Goals

I have found each and every one of them.
Overthink
Change the goal
Start… then stop
Freeze
Decide I will fail
Sit in fear
And so on and so on and so on.

How about you? How many ways have you found to derail your goals? How do you overcome it? Can you overcome it?

My mission to start a non-profit has been a non-stop ego bashing venture. I wasn’t even aware of how much my identity was attached to my ability to help others instantly because of years and years of experience in my former field. I was the go-to person. I took on every challenge (usually someone else’s challenge) jumped in and handled it. So now, here I am, with a monumental challenge that I have chosen to solve and very little knowledge on how to do it.

Over the last few weeks I have spent countless hours talking myself into breaking my colossal goals into smaller and smaller little pieces.  “Just start with one kid” has been my mantra.  And it helps… a little. I am by nature a big picture thinker and usually chunking up a project is easy because the bigger picture is such a huge motivator.  But somehow now it feels defeating.

A bruised ego and a deflated spirit are not a recipe for success. Or are they? This is the moment where you decide if you are going to accept failure or if you are going to push to overcome it. And failure is not an option. My kids are watching. They need to know how hard this is and they need to see me make it happen.

What is the missing piece? What is the biggest difference between where I was six months ago and now? The answer is information. I could help others because I knew what to do. Some of that comes from experience, some of that comes from education. I have to earn the experience but I can educate myself. So that’s what I’m doing. Education, education, education.

There is nothing to say I need to change the world this year. Maybe not even next year. And as I’ve done more research, found non-profit leaders to follow, classes to take, articles to read, the mission is starting to take shape. Clear, defined shape.  And it’s getting bigger. And I love that.

So there may be 1001 ways to derail your goals, but you only need to find one way to push yourself forward.

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