Goals Blown Out of the Water? How to Start Over

Greetings Leaders!

Lately, it seems like all my goals have gone out the window. Not to be negative, but it’s been a tough year. Business is down. Rates are down. I tore my distal biceps tendon while working out at the gym. Stocks are doing ok, but not great. I imagine there are a lot of you out there going through something similar. Either in your finances, career, health or relationships.

You had some goals at the start of the year and are far from meeting them. Perhaps you’ve even gone backwards. That’s ok. Life happens. Trust me – in the vast majority of circumstances your situation will improve. So… let’s get back on track.

Let’s think about this in terms of a race. For those of you old enough to remember the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Derek Redmond epitomizes what it means to start over.

There are several things to take away from Derek’s tragedy and triumph.

1. After Derek injured himself, he stopped. When you miss your goals, take a  moment to collect your thoughts. Take a short vacation or retreat and reassess where you’re at. As you think about your goals, remember, if you’re thinkin, your life ain’t over. We are in a race called life. You will suffer set backs. That is a given. What matters is how your respond.
2. Don’t rest too long, or opportunities will pass you by. Like Derek, you need to get up and set your mind on a new goal. When Derek started the race, his goal was to win. When he pulled his hamstring, all that changed. He could’ve just sat there on the track, but he didn’t. He made a new goal – to finish the race.
3. Fight for your dreams! As Derek got up and headed towards the finish line, people tried to stop him. He pushed them away. Don’t let others stop you from setting new goals.
4. Let others help you. As Derek was limping along, his father came to help him. Derek, not knowing who was there, tried to fight him off. But as soon as he realized it was his Dad, someone who loved and cared for him, he accepted his help freely.
5. Don’t be afraid to cry. Sometimes life can be painful. If you’re hurting, that’s ok – let it out. Just don’t hang onto your pain too long, or it will prevent you from moving forward.

So, how do you start over? You assess where you’re at, make a decision to move forward and you make some new goals. Simple isn’t it. I’ve already established new ones. What about you?

All the best!
All the time!
JT