Are Goals Instant Gratification or Journeys?

We live in a society that expects instant results for very little effort. We set up goals as if they are mountains to climb then we take a few steps and expect to see large valleys below us even though we are barely off the ground. When I was working with clients, I could sense their agitation that things weren't happening fast enough and I sensed it in myself when it came to some of my goals, like exercising. Then I realized how senseless it is to expect to see change when starting out on any journey.

When I take a trip I don't get in my car and drive 5 miles and expect to get to my destination if I know my destination is 125 miles away. I just drive until I get there. In fact, when I begin driving I don't have any expectation of seeing any sign of my destination point at all. The only expectation I have is that my car will continue to run until I get there. And, I don't try to find my destination, the address I am looking for, until I am almost there.

In other words, until I am near my destination, AKA: my goal, I have no expectation of seeing any signs or indications that it is near.

However once, I am close to my destination, then and only then do I expect to see signs...

Obviously, when it comes to achieving the goal of arriving at a particular address by a particular time on a particular day, this use of "unexpectation" or realistic expectation is easy to maneuver.
Couldn't I use this well proven method to go after all my goals?
Couldn't I prepare for the trip, check the address, check my map, start my engine and start driving? And couldn't I continue driving while I expect nothing...

Of course I could!

What if you thought of your goals as mountains in the distance instead of mountains to climb and every time you took action you took a step toward the mountain, not up the mountain, maybe you'd realize that each step you take daily meant you were closer to the mountain, but not anywhere near climbing it...yet!

Take out a piece of paper, draw a mountain on one side, now draw a long curly road to get to the mountain, mark the end of the road with an X and write you are here...then begin the journey....how will you know when you've reached the base of the mountain? You'll know, because you will see the signs.

May you find joy getting to the mountains of your dreams.

Blessings,
Julie Cordova

Ah-ah Moment!

This afternoon I was preparing for my class tonight by reading the assigned pages from the text. I loved the book immediately (Standing at the Crossroads, Next Steps for High-Achieving Women, by Marian Ruderman and Patricia Ohlott) anyway I was reading the assignment and decided to do a writing challenge from the book. Even though the writing challenge was not part of class work and I was running short on time, it seemed like something worth trying, so I did, and I discovered that my top 5 values (at least at this time in my life) are Wisdom, Autonomy, Self-Respect, Integrity, and Love. All this is good information to know, but creating this list wasn't as interesting as what I discovered to be low on the list...

One of the values I held in least regards was Physical Fitness. Not that Physical Fitness is something I don't value, its just that I value the other 30 or so things more and Physical Fitness just kept getting pushed further and further down list. So where does this leave me?

Well, I've been overwhelmed with feelings of shame and guilt because I haven't been able to motivate myself to exercise this year. I'm 10 pounds heavier than I was last year after taking a year break from my usual work-out routine so it was important to me, or so I thought, to get back on the treadmill and start working out again. But, since I don't value Physical Fitness as much as I do Personal Development, Competency, Inner Harmony, Helping Family, Spirituality...and so on and so on...what do I have to feel guilty about?

When my life changes to the point that Phyisical Fitness is once again high on the list of things I value, then I will begin dieting and exercising, until then I will concentrate on Health (for me this means, nutrition and walking, not power walking or exerting myself, just walking) instead which is on my list...at number 17 (nothing to obsess about but high enough to focus on regularly) and I won't worry about burning off a measly 10 pounds for one more moment! My god, with all that is going on in the world - is 10 pounds really worth worrying about? I don't think so!