I heard a story some time back using the metaphor of a British cooked breakfast with its eggs, sausage and bacon (hang on in there veggie readers!). The question posed was “Are you interested in this project or are you committed to it?” To illustrate the difference between these two positions it was explained that a hen is interested in the project of creating a cooked breakfast while a pig is committed to it.
Simple metaphor, profound difference in the investment of the hen and the pig.
So when it comes to success in your life, are you interested in it or committed to it?
No, I don’t mean are you willing to sacrifice your life for your career, I’m not thinking about total, unthinking, driven determination…
I am asking whether your desire for a successful career, a rewarding relationship, a fulfilling life or a restful retirement is really supported by evidence of your actions to make that specific goal happen.
I’ve always believed that actions speak louder and more eloquently than words. As a scientist I guess I’m used to looking for evidence.
Truth is that sometimes we don’t know what the right actions are. Often we don’t know what the best actions are. At times, we just need to be taking action, doing something and watching the effects before we know whether we are going in the right direction or not.
Actions like these don’t need to be hard work although it can take persistence. It does sometimes mean going with the flow, finding your path, at other times it’s about making a path or carving a niche.
Today I’m just wondering what are you, me, we doing to make our dreams into goals, our goals into plans, our plans into actions that will take us just one step closer to living that reality…
What is it that you want for yourself, your life?
Are you interested in making it happen or committed to making it a reality?
I know I often have really good ideas. I get a burst of enthusiasm, start working towards my goal, even begin to see the results of my work as my plans swing into action and congratulate myself on taking the focussed actions needed to get real results in life – and at that point, I get distracted.
Often the distraction is another, different, good idea, sometimes it’s an unexpected lemon landing in my lap. Either way, I take my eye off my first goal, stop doing what has just started working and then, days, weeks, months later when reviewing my projects, I wonder why things aren’t progressing. The answer is totally obvious. I stopped.
Taking actions, moving in a consistent direction and keeping on keeping on – all three are important for progress. Are all three part of your current routine?
If you don’t know what actions are needed or you keep getting distracted, do get in touch and let’s discuss some of your options!
You can send me an email through the contact box – click on the link below my photo in the sidebar – or give me a call on: + 44 (0)208 123 0099