Six Ways to Stay on Track with Positive Thinking When Conquering Goals

Six Ways to Stay on Track with Positive Thinking When Conquering Goals

Unfortunately, shortly after starting a new goal the excitement often wears off, making it is easy to get sucked down a tube of inadequacy and failure. We get plagued with negative thoughts like: can I do this, am I capable, smart enough, worthy enough, or did I even make the right decision? All these negative thoughts often lead us to anxiety and/or depression. Even worse, our progress on the path to our goal comes to a complete halt at these roadblocks. It is important to head off this destructive thinking pattern before it gets started. How do you burst-through these roadblocks? Here are a few things that have helped me get back on track.

1. Have a support buddy you can call. Someone who can give positive and level-headed advice during these moments of self-doubt. (For me, this is my sister or my husband depending on the topic at hand). When those moments come, I talk with one of them about the issue. Either is always ready to balance me out and put things into perspective. I try to return the favor for them. Friendship is a two-way street even with family.

2. Try filling a jar with notes to yourself. Make sure to include plenty in case you need to read several to get back on track. Making a mixture of positive, and kick your own butt notes often does the trick. Just remember nothing negative, derogatory, or tearing yourself down.

3. Stop and make yourself hand write something positive about yourself, or a list of things for which you are thankful. Writing takes focus and this change of focus during those moments, may be just what you need to get back on track.

4. My personal favorite is forget about you and the situation and switch your focus to someone else. Do something nice for them, or to help them towards reaching their own goal. I have found this to be one of the most effective methods for me.

5. Make a list of why you chose this goal, and why it’s important for you to reach it. Use these statements as a reference for yourself to focus on.

6. I don’t personally use this one, but I know several people that find it very effective. Look yourself in the face and honestly level with yourself. (This requires standing or sitting in front of a large mirror.) Look yourself in the eye and admit your faults and shortcomings in a factual non-condemning way. Also acknowledge your skills and abilities as they apply to the task. This is point A (where I am). Talk yourself through the best way to get from point A to B (the goal) and plot a road map for going over, under, around or through the roadblock currently in your way. Sometime an objective look at our problems is all the change of focus we need. No, I’m not perfect, but perfect is not a requirement to reach my goal.

Ultimately remember, a goal is a goal—not because it is easy—but because it is a challenge! Challenges push us to better ourselves and stretch our potential to new levels. True stretching is seldom pain free. If you doubt it, just ask anyone who has been through physical therapy for range of motion after an injury. But when you consider how much easier life is having full range of motion in that part of your body, it’s well worth the pain and effort. Quite often reaching our goals can involve pain, time and struggle though frequently the end results are well worth it! Nobody starts off knowing everything they need to know about a topic or what the end result will be. You have to work towards it—even when painfully slow. Just focus on the step in front of you and take that one step, then the next step. Before you know it, you will be closer to your end result then you realized! Don’t forget, you’re not alone. Everyone experiences moments of doubt on the path to their destination. Just take baby steps and keep going!

If for some reason, things happen in your life and you are unable to complete your goal, don’t look at it as failure, but as a course of education in the college of life. Life continues on. Sometimes we reach a washed-out bridge and have to take a detour or even change our course completely. Other times we realize the road we were on was not the best choice for us or those we love. If you are met with either of these circumstances, have the courage to switch roads and embrace the new journey! Ponder the lesson and enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way. Happy travels!

Just keep on pecking, the Homesteading Hen