Jan 06 2012
Goal setting has been part of my life since my early days as a track runner. With four Olympics and years of leading others in the discovering and living their potential, you would think setting a New Years resolution would be a snap. I had created my list of what I am proud of in 2011, I started my list of intentions for 2012 when I stumbled upon a critical flaw in the 2012 list; not all the things I was including on my intention list were aligned with the vision I hold of where I want to be in five years. There were several things on the list that were significant tangents, enjoyable and fulfilling enough, but not really contributing to my ultimate vision of where I wanted to be in a few years.
I took a step back and made sure my vision was clear and still resonated deeply for me. I could see myself clearly in my mind, motivating and inspiring thousands of people to move in the direction of their dreams, I could feel what it felt like to encourage and support others in finding their human potential, I saw myself working one-on-one with others, helping them overcome fears and limiting thinking. This vision excites and motivates me, yes I am on track.
I took the next step, the difficult one. I took an honest inventory of my current reality. No candy coating, no self selling; just the facts. I looked at where I was spending my time, what took priority in my days, and I tried to do this without judgment. The gap between where I am today and where I want to be is a gap that creates the tension for change. This tension is sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes maddening persistent awareness that there is more to give, risks to take and work to be done. Once I have identified where I am and where I want to be, I can begin to filter everything through the lens of the visions. It becomes far easier to say no to something when you know what path you are following. It is also easier to take on further education, reading and commitments when you see where they lie in the bigger picture.
Should you discover that some of your New Years Resolutions aren’t exactly on track with your ultimate dreams, take a minute to step back and engage in the process of clarifying your dream and accessing your current reality. After all, if you don’t know where you are going, how are you going to get there? Silken