Goal-setting. What do you think of when you hear those words? Is goal-setting something that you find to be a useful tool in your daily life? Does it scare you?
Pay attention to how your body feels when you think about goal setting.
Does the energy feel expansive or constricting? What words come to mind?
Goal-Setting and Flexibility: The Expansive Perspective
For many, goal-setting has the feel of a choice that narrows options and imposes limits. But I take a very different view.
To step into a nautical framework for a second, I think of goal-setting as similar to deciding what harbor you’re heading for. Depending on the winds and ocean currents, your actual path may vary considerably. But your goal is unvarying; it is always that harbor, whatever adjustments you may need to make to get yourself there.
Your goal provides a focus and frame for every action that follows. It isn’t rigid, but it provides context and purpose. Your goal-setting provides you with an endpoint; and the actual route then emerges organically from that base.
Now, let’s take a step back, because it’s in the step-by-step details of the journey that your flexibility comes into play. Here are 3 tips will help you engage with the process and enlist your creativity and agility as you work to attain your goals.
3 Timely Tips: Goal-Setting and Flexibility
1. Develop an Attitude of Expansiveness.
Breathe deeply and encourage yourself to broaden your viewpoint. Let in all the possibilities. Maybe you can combine two divergent ideas to create a new option! Allowing yourself to open to things you may not have originally thought of will enrich the outcome in ways you can’t imagine!
2. Let Go of Outworn Expectations.
When you find your goals thwarted, your first feeling may be frustration. If you feel stuck in that space, explore whether you are expecting life to play by rules you learned long ago. You can let go of rigidity based on old expectations that needlessly restrict you. Encourage yourself to create a wider base.
3. Draw on Your Creativity.
When confronted with an obstacle or unexpected twist in the road, step back and ask yourself “What if…” Loosen up and try on different options until you find new connections. You can be playful to access even more creative ideas. Encourage visualization and fantasy.
BONUS TIP: Be Willing to Ask for Help.
Find experts and don’t be shy about asking for suggestions and feedback. Allow yourself to broaden the scope of your goal by engaging in problem-solving dialogue. Often an objective outsider will have just the solution you’re looking for!
I hope these heart-based tips for expansiveness and flexibility in goal-setting are helpful to you!
And if you’d like to explore Heart-Based Time Management™ more deeply, there’s a great way to do that right now! I invite you to access Secrets of Heart-Based Time Management™ – my chapter in the book I co-authored – Stepping Stones to Success! In it you’ll learn about my proven system for harnessing the power of your mind, your body and your spirit to help you deepen your experience of time and of your life.
You can give yourself the gift of this wonderful resource today, and get started on your journey toward success, Stepping Stone by Stepping Stone …just click this link.
Speak Your Mind