“If we do not change our direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed.”~Ancient Chinese proverb
We do it all the time. I hear it from my colleagues, clients, friends, and family members. I do it myself. We decide on a course of action – a way to handle the co-worker who is driving us crazy, to motivate the employee who simply isn’t working hard enough, to get our children to listen – and keep pushing at it, whether it seems to be taking us in the direction we want to be going or not. Most often we come to this course of action quickly – we don’t “have time” to really think through what we’re doing and where we’re going, and so we simply start moving. And keep moving…and wonder why we’re not ending up where we want to be.
When faced with disappointment, frustration, or resistance because what you’re doing doesn’t seem to be working or the direction you’re heading doesn’t seem to be getting you where you want to be, do you stop and check the direction you’re heading in to make sure you’re pointed towards your final goal? Or are you like me and you often simply hunker down and push harder?
It seems quite obvious – if we don’t change our direction we’ll likely end up where we are headed. That’s one of the simplest things I’ve heard in quite a long time. Yet how often do I stop and pay attention to the direction in which I’m heading and make sure I am pointed in the direction of my final destination. I know I’ve achieved a great deal in my life by simply putting my head down and pushing through, and I wonder if I might get better places quicker if I lifted my head, checked my direction, and pointed it towards my final goal.
Revisit some of the goals in your life and check that the actions you’re taking are pointing you towards those goals.
Where in your life are you pushing harder when you simply may be heading in the wrong direction? How can you look up, get the lay of the land, and head in the direction of the destinations you are seeking?
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