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Taking Action: What Have You Leaned Into Today? |
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Written by Webmaster
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Wednesday, 11 February 2009 |
By Melani Ward
 "You can't cross a stream by merely staring into the water." Rabindranth Tagor, 1913 Nobel laureate for literature
I read something one time by Jack Canfield about "leaning into" success and it really stuck with me. The idea is that success often comes when you lean into it and open yourself up to opportunities to achieve something without any guarantees or expectations whatsoever. You just start and see what happens. You MOVE first and then see if you want to keep going rather than analyzing, thinking and deliberating until you're effectively paralyzed by thoughts.
This practice has led to more success in my life than anything and it's something I work on with my clients all of the time.
There is no shortage of literature on goals - how to set them, when, why, who to tell, etc. but I have to wonder - if there are so many well thought out and proven systems, why don't more people achieve their goals?
The reason is because success doesn't necessarily start with setting a goal. It instead often
starts with an ability to do something and a LOVE for the process it takes to get there.
This is often why many people fail over and over again to lose weight. If they truly loved eating healthy and exercising, they wouldn't be so overweight to begin with. And, because the process involved in losing weight can take so long, it is a much tougher road. Not impossible - the focus just has to change.
The key thing to remember about achievement is that when there is no desire there is equally no passion for the goal.
Maybe you experienced this as a child or you are noticing it now with your own children. Your parents saw a talent in you so they gave you hundreds of piano lessons with the best teachers and while you were very skilled, you really didn't enjoy it at all. With that lack of passion there was only so far you would go.
Here's what I see with clients. When we talk about goals they have set and how they are progressing, the ones that seem to hang them up are the ones that they have either told themselves they should do or it's something someone ELSE strongly suggested they do.
It's hard to lean into these. It's as if the mind travels to a place where you have to convince it that it wants the goal when in reality, if you have to remind yourself of your goal and you even find yourself forgetting what it is from day to day, then it will likely never come true, as worthwhile as it might be.
However, when it comes to achievement, the results come very quickly when you are doing something that rewards you simply for doing it or that you do for the love of the experience itself.
This idea has probably been brought into very clear focus when you watch major sporting events. For example, winning a Grand Slam in tennis may be the ultimate goal but if they didn't truly love the process, the training, the playing and the conditioning it takes to get to that level, it would never happen, no matter how much natural talent they had.
So, here are a few key principles to keep in mind when it comes to goals and achievement.
1. When you are attached to something in an emotional way, you are far more likely to achieve it. For example, does the result AND the process of achieving it bring out feelings of excitement, joy, love, intensity? If not, you may be trying to achieve a "should" or someone else's dream all together.
2. Wherever you focus your attention determines what your outcome will be. Your mind is powerful and you have the ability to attract the thoughts and emotions you need to it to do what you must to achieve the goal.
3. While long term goals are good, focus your attention on short term goals and lean into them right NOW! And as you are leaning into them evaluate the journey - are you having fun, learning what you need to learn, staying aligned with who you are on the inside, putting habits into place that are sure to get you where you want to go in the long run, etc.?
4. Don't get hung up on deadlines. Some people will tell you that deadlines are critical when it comes to goals. You've probably heard this before - "a goal is a dream with a deadline". It's catchy but it's also a big reason people give up too soon. Having a plan and a schedule are keys to success; however, so is having a contingency plan. Locking yourself into an all or nothing date can undermine your success dramatically. If you don't reach your goal on the date planned, just re-evaluate and push on through.
And, probably the most important point at all - when a new idea comes into your mind for something you want to achieve, begin the process immediately. Don't allow yourself to get stuck in the "how" or the "what if's" or the "it's too bigs" nonsense. Just lean into it and decide later if you want to keep going.
Want to change directions in your business? Try something small that would take you in that direction, today. Want a new job with a new company? Make a phone call to a contact to create momentum. Want to run a marathon? Don't spend 30 minutes writing out an 18 week training plan. Just get out and run right now.
Lean in and enjoy every breath.
Find out what storyteller you are dragging around with you at http://www.changingyourstoryblog.com. Melani Ward is a passionate entrepreneur: numerologist, online marketing strategist, lifestyle coach, writer, yogi and runner! She helps women entrepreneurs attract more ideal clients and make a lot more money doing work they LOVE.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 11 February 2009 )
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