“Screw this, I quit” – How to enjoy the process of reaching that audacious goal!
“Screw this, I quit”- How to enjoy the process of reaching that audacious goal.
We’ve all been there at one point or another. Setting a goal only to find halfway that it just might not feel that it’s worth it. Reaching for or achieving something you’ve never done before can feel difficult. It takes persistent work and there are usually unexpected challenges along the way. How do you enjoy the process and not jump ship? Especially considering that if the process was easy, would the result be as fulfilling?
Learning and evolving is what ultimately matters:
I’m guilty of this. As a business owner, I catch myself believing I haven’t achieved enough, or that it might be easier if I just give up because I haven’t reached my end goal thus far. But If I take a moment to reflect, I realise just how far I have progressed as a coach, and it gives me hunger to continue. At the end of the day if you know more than you did last week, you are step closer to being where you want to be; which is an achievement in itself and should act as momentum to keep going!
Enjoy the moment:
The ability to be completely present in the moment is an art I’m still learning. Someone once told me to practice being in the present moment, could be as simple as having your morning shower and taking note of how the water feels on your skin. When you focus on simple small details, you’re living in the present and not letting your mind wander or worry for the future. It’s easier said than done, especially if you’re at the gym and you’ve got a 100kg barbell on your back (soak up that moment none the less). Celebrate the small victories! It could be a workout that you were dreading but you did it anyway. That final rep that seemed impossible, when your legs felt like they were giving up on you. And whether you got that rep or not, appreciate those challenges. Cause it feels damn good to come out the other side, doesn’t it?!
Celebrate the small wins:
If you’re only concentrating on the destination, it’s most likely going to be a tedious journey.
Tracking your progress in a way that’s easy for you to measure, helps to keep you oriented on the present and helps you to realise how far you have come. Otherwise, how would you know if you are one step closer to where you need to be; or, if you need to make alterations? I practice this with clients frequently. By monitoring measurable goals such as cm’s lost or an increase in the ability to perform more reps of a certain activity, you have tangible results which can be celebrated! If they have a twelve-week goal and we are on track in week six, it gives them motivation to continue. Celebrate those small wins! Your reward only needs to be personal and significant to you, it could be as simple as text bombing your group chat (one of my faves) or booking a massage. Celebrate with like-minded people who care for you, who have been your cheer squad from the beginning, this might only be one or two people; from my experience, not everyone wants you to succeed. – It’s ok to let those people go so you can invest your energy elsewhere.
When it comes to goals, or any big achievement it always seems to be hard before it gets easy. It’s a learning process and sometimes you fail along the way, and that’s ok! With failure comes courage. Try again, stick with it, and ride the wave. If you hold tight, you’ll come out the other end more resilient. Setting goals gives me a sense of purpose. Goals are a destination. The process is the journey that gets you there. Have fun with it!