I reckon there’s nothing worse than pretending to be unafraid of roller coasters – when inside I’m a trembling jelly of terror.
A few years ago my daughter (maybe 9 at the time) asked me to go ride the coaster in a Japanese theme park.
And, brave dad that I wanted to be, I agreed to this act of folly.
However, what I hadn’t counted on was her ladyship’s absolute nerves of steel because she requested the Japanese attendant (being the bilingual queen) to place us in the front car. Yikes!
How valuable has education been to your career success?
Kind of a loaded question, eh?!
Reminds me of what Tony Robbins (the personal development guru) is reputed to have said when queried on his lack of formal qualifications:
This is the third of 3 posts on goal setting excuses. (Here are the first and second posts in the series.)
Setting BIG goals, without some reference to a higher vision or purpose can be less than inspiring.
In fact, downright dull.
Words I often hear from people who say they detest setting BIG goals are: “It’s sooo boring!”
You know, they could be right!
Let’s examine some goal setting excuses and see if it’s possible to turn them around by using a self-coaching tool called ‘reframing’.
Excuse #1: BIG Goals stress me out!
Well, if they’re someone else’s goals, they surely will – pretty much guaranteed!
One of the interesting things I’ve noticed about stressed out goal setters is that their approach often lacks an effective supporting structure…
… with the result that the goal is doomed from the start because they’re swimming hard against the currents of life, instead of with them.
Excuse #2: Most BIG goals are never met – therefore setting BIG goals is a waste of time.
I call this limiting approach – ” setting all or nothing” goals.
For example: assume you ‘want’ to legally double your annual income within the next 3 years.
Knowing that your present reality is a great feedback mechanism (i.e. what are you earning now and for what service or skill provided?) and an opportunity to course correct, this excuse is pretty lame.
Hint: Some specific BIG goals are not necessarily going to be achieved in ANY given time frame.
Instead, you can choose to head in that goal’s general direction – and allow life, inspired action and hard work to deal their cards.
You’ll then get more feedback – plus and minus – on whether this is working for you or not.
Next up are the coaching re-frames which have helped some people let go of these excuses:
Re-frame#1:
Imagine that direct involvement with this big goal may be important to your future success and happiness, starting right now.
e.g. If you dream of opening your own business after leaving an employee role, then begin by viewing all daily tasks and personalities in your current workplace through that filter.
Ask yourself:
“If I was a business owner, what would I do?”
“If I was in charge, how would I behave?”
Reframe#2:
Make a list of all the people, places, and resources that might be able to help you.
Now take the big goal which is stressing you out, and break down the first major action (pick one!) into a number of small steps.
Finally, match up what appears to be step 1 with a resource item on your list and start taking what simple action you think appropriate.
- Mark McClure
PS – Do you mid-lifers have any goal setting excuses you’d like to share from experience?
I haven’t been this moved by a film (and all I’ve seen so far is the YouTube trailer!!) – since the final 30 minutes of The Shawshank Redemption.
“Man on Wire” tells the incredible, true story of Philippe Petit’s 7th August 1974 high wire artistry on a 3/4 inch steel cable suspended between the two World Trade Center Towers in New York.
Take a look at the trailer and see if your palms aren’t sweating and your heart not singing by the closing words – one of the most beautifully simple reasons for living I’ve read for a long while:
“See every day as a true challenge – and then you live your life on the tightrope.”
There’s a delicious irony in those words when set alongside what Philippe is reported to have said when repeatedly asked why he performed that crazy stunt:
“There is no why.” 
While he and his team did break many laws in the process – and the police were pi##ed off, to say the least – from what I’ve read so far, no one was harmed in his miraculous display of performance art.
I really hope ‘Man on Wire’ makes it to Japan – at least the book’s on Amazon.
Have a ‘soaring’ weekend!
- Mark McClure
And here’s a tribute video to Philippe Petit, Man of Wire.
Terrifyingly beautiful – it really does look like the ‘artistic crime of the century”.
PS – Magnolia pictures have a web site here: ManOnWire