Did you start 2024 with huge expectations that things were going to be different, that you were going to be different, that you were going to go for the things you wanted and not get bogged down in daily life.
Have you hit mid-May and the initial enthusiasm of the year has very much waned? Even though we are less than halfway through the year, does it feel like you should just give up on this year and start afresh next year? Are you feeling discouraged and disillusioned? Do you feel like you’re not making any progress, you’re the same, everything’s the same and you want more? More from yourself, more from others, more from life?
When we feel like we’re not getting anywhere, that our efforts are in vain, it’s so easy to just give up and stop trying. We throw out what progress we have made, just because we haven't "made enough".
Instead of giving up, quitting on yourself and your goals, you may just need to change your perspective. The next few posts will be about how to pivot your mindset and focus and keep going towards the things you truly want.
Focus on the Process
The process is the sum of all the small steps that we have to take each and every day in order for something to occur. Much of our lives are made up of processes or series of processes. Think about the process of brushing your teeth or putting your shoes on. You may not realise it, but you very likely do these tasks the same way each and every day without thinking about it. You have completed these processes so many times that they are now natural and unconscious. This is how we want the steps to achieve your goals to feel, you do them without thinking, they are an embedded part of your life.
Professional sports people will also tell you that it’s the process they focus on, and that the outcome (winning) just happens. Rafael Nadal is one of the greatest ever tennis players and he’s all about the process. He goes through the same process each point, regardless of whether he’s winning or losing, whether it’s the first point of the match or the last. He focuses on himself, what gets him in the right headspace and what he needs to do; the winning just happens.
The benefit of doing the same thing each and every time is that you can find the process that is right for you, fits into your life and works towards the goals you want to achieve. This helps you push through the uncertainty, the fear of failure, the fear of achievement, as you're just focusing on the small step you need to take today and doing that.
Consider your mindset, how you think about your goals and evaluate your progress towards these. Are you focusing on the process enough? Or do you keep focusing on the end outcome and get frustrated that you’re not there yet and then try to shortcut your way there? Or just get frustrated with yourself and the process?
Thinking about focusing on the progress and the small incremental steps in terms of a physical goal can be simpler. We are much more aware of our physical limitations, the slow pace of progress and are more generous with ourselves when the achievement of physical goals takes time. Think about your emotions, spiritual, self-growth goals in terms of physical goals and see if you're being generous enough to yourself.
Consider them in terms of the goal to run a marathon. What are the steps that running a marathon would take? For most people the first step would be to determine your current fitness / health situation and available resources as well as everything you would need to achieve the goal. The next would likely be researching and mapping out a plan that takes your current situation into consideration and the daily training, nutrition, rest, etc that you would need to be ready to run the marathon on race day.
Once you've mapped this all out, it is now just following the process. Getting up early and doing the runs you planned, buying the new trainers, going to bed early, stopping drinking, taking up yoga or swimming to stretch and diversify your training.
What would happen if you mapped out a 26-week plan and less than halfway through you decided to try to run a marathon? How well do you think you would go? Do you think you'd even finish it? Or finish it without injuring yourself?
This is exactly where we are now, if you've set goals for the year and you're frustrated you haven't achieved them yet, breathe and slow down. We are less than halfway through the year, be kind and patient with yourself and your life. Follow your plan to the end, focus on the process and keep inching forward.
Consider what your goals are, and what steps you need to take to achieve these. Are you taking the small daily steps that are necessary in order to achieve these? Do you need to find more regular time to be able to action your goals so that they become part of your daily life? Do you need to break down the action items into smaller steps so that you can keep achieving a small amount each and every day?
Small incremental progress towards our goals is the best way to achieve them. This embeds our new life into our current life. Keep your gaze on the process and don’t keep looking up to ask “are we there yet?”.
If you would like help keeping your focus on the process and making sure you have the right process in place, please contact me to book in a 1:1 online goals-coaching session.
Comments