We all have dreams. Dreams can’t become a reality unless we take the necessary action — set goals, and work to achieve these goals. Over the past few years, from counseling sessions to reading motivation books, most encourage you to keep going even when you feel like giving up. While this is useful advice, it can only work effectively, if before you do anything you answer three questions.
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What?
“The greatest secret of getting what you want from life is to know what you want and believe you can have it” — Norman Vincent Peale
As a counselor, I have seen many people with great skills and unable to settle on doing one particular thing. They go from one project to a next within days at times, never truly taking the time to follow through. When the going gets very tough, which it will at some point, they quickly abandon it and move to the next new thing, and so the cycle continues . Then they end up totally frustrated and say that the system is set up for them to fail.
The first question you must answer is the “what”. You must definitely with all assurance know “what” you want to do. Of course there will be competing interest and so you may find there are many things what you want to do. However, this is where it is important to determine the one that will stand out from the rest.
If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes.”– Andrew Carnegie
I have tried to do many things at one time, only to suffer extreme burnout and give up not on a few, but all of them. So to guard yourself in beginning a project, identify the one thing that gives you enjoyment. So much, that you could find yourself working on it twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
When you first apply the “what” question, and the going gets tough, along with knowing what you are going to doing, there is the second question that will be the basis of persistence through the moments that you feel like giving up.
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Why?
“The real purpose of a goal is what it makes of you as a human being while you pursue it. Who you become as a person is the ultimate reward”. — Anthony Robbins
The fundamental “why” is the core of persisting in doing it. Many times we may do something and base it on the income-earning potential. If you stay long enough you may eventually reap the benefits of the time, resources and all other things invested in it, for some monetary compensation.
However, believe it or not, finances will not keep us motivated when the going gets tough. At times after injecting so much finances into a venture and not seeing any or very small returns. You can be tempted, and may very well give up, if you didn’t find a soul heart reason for doing so.
I began writing a few months ago, though I have only started publishing on Medium quite recently. While I was told several times about hitting a point where I would feel like quitting, I felt I had more time before that would occur. After a few days of just not feeling to write anything I wondered if so quickly I had already reached that point.
The factor that was pivotal in me regaining momentum was remembering my “why” for doing it. After remembering my “why”, I have had a resurgence in my momentum as I push on knowing tough times will come, life will happen, distractions will arise.
However, knowing your “why” will always carry you back to the reason for doing it initially.
Even so, after establishing your what and the why. You are still faced with the final question before launching into that project.
You now must carefully consider the process of beginning.
How?
It is not enough to take steps which may someday lead to a goal; each step must be itself a goal and a step likewise.”– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
If you cover the what and the why and you don’t consider exactly how you are going to do it, you are not likely to persist.
I am sure you know what I am speaking about.
Let’s suppose you have determined to exercise daily. You understand what you are going to do, and you know why — you want to be healthy. Then if you don’t determine, how you are going to do it. Your daily exercise routine may be just getting off the couch to refill that glass of juice. You get the point I am making.
You must decide, using the example of exercise, whether you want to go to a gym, workout at home or go walking daily. You must also determine the amount of time you can realistically spend on the goal.
You have to be as specific as possible, measure the progress so you know whether to change approach or not, set goals that are attainable — for example you can’t go from not exercising to running a marathon in three months. Your goal must also be realistic and have clear objectives that are time-bound. Using the example of exercise, you can say within three months I want to be able to run two miles and therefore you are aware of what you want to achieve within a certain period of time.
My push to action has been based on consistently using these three questions to stay the course. This by no means is the only aspect for moving forward, I have had, and continue to have mentors, great motivational material, supportive persons.
However, when it comes down to you, to get up and take action on ANYTHING you want to do. You must know the what, why, and how. These three questions will propel you and keep you pushing towards the goals you have set. After all progress is not a smooth road, but with these three questions answered, when the bumps and curves hit, you will do this one thing — keep moving forward.
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”– Confucius
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Previously published on “Change Becomes You”, a Medium publication.
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Photo credit: Iga Palacz on Unsplash