Big goals – do you have any?
If so, it’s important to be flexible, and stay positive and thankful because big goals take many turns.
Some are a gentle arc, and barely noticed. Those turns are easy.
Other turns are like the Tail of the Dragon – 11-miles of twists in Tennesee that car and motorbike aficionados use to challenge their driving skill. Sometimes a challenge can be exhilarating.
Regardless of the severity of the turn or turns on the way to that big goal, what thinking skills do you need to navigate your way? These intangible skills will work for the easy turns and the challenging ones alike. And along the way to your goal you’re going to need these skills!
Navigating the turns in Big Goals
Traveling with our 5th-Wheel up and down the coast, into big cities and across expanses, required many different skills compared to zooming in a little car to the store.
Rob often talked about thinking in 3 dimensions – not just length and width, but also height as we navigated through our RV-ing adventures.
Big Goals also need a different style of thinking from everyday duties.
Here are some I’ve practiced and seen others do along the way to a big goal.
- Clarity. What do you really want? If you know what you really want, then at every turn you’ll be able to choose the way forward.
- Focus. Make a plan to get to your goal that includes all the turns you can imagine. Follow the plan.
- Review. Goals need a plan and those huge goals are probably made up of many smaller plans and goals. Review it all regularly, because there are going to be turns you haven’t anticipated on the way to the win.
- Flexibility. Be ready to shift. You may be in 1st and 2nd gear for a long haul before you get to that open road where you can let all the power out!
- Thankfulness. No matter what turn you hit, be aware of the good stuff and express your thankfulness.
and finally…
Stay optimistic.
Optimism is going to be the overarching need, regardless of all the different skills when navigating the turns in a Big Goal.
Have you encountered a turn on the way to a big goal? What did you do to navigate that unexpected shift?
Making a Plan…
Plans and goals go hand-in-hand. Rarely will someone reach a goal without one. So, how do you record your plan? How do you keep track?
I currently use notebooks – just the dollar-store kind – to keep track of what I’m working on. I even decorate the cover because I’m playing with paper these days. But I have tried other planners. Some just had the months and weeks listed. They worked just fine. And then on my way to seeking a change, I used this planner for 100 days. (I wrote about it here.)
Planning for a bigger goal requires some reflection. (The kind of thinking included in the above 5 ways.)
I found what I needed to do some reflective thinking with the Happiness line of planners. If you’re interested in what I’m speaking about, there are downloadable printables to do some reflecting and planning. Click here to see – they’re free!
If you wanted an undated planner for 365 days, take a look at this one. (Why undated? Because it’s rare that we start a big goal at the obvious beginning of a year. Life usually isn’t that simple.) This kind of planner is much more – it’ll work toward getting you from where you currently are to your big goal. If you want to, download a free PDF of a page of its style to see if this planner will work for you.
No matter what you choose – notebook, regular dated planner, or something else – your Big Goal will need some way to capture all the twists and turns. I urge you to take the thinking actions first!
