Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony. ~ Thomas Merton

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Creating Desire

Take a moment to think about the goal you’ve set for yourself.

How committed are you to achieving this goal?

Under what conditions would you give up?

What if you wanted them so badly that you knew with absolute certainty that you would absolutely, positively never ever give up?

~ Goal Setting Course, Step 2
So is this why I never seem to achieve the success I want?

In one of her posts about a Kelly Sigler clinic, my friend Tenley talked about a book called Play to Win.  In it, the author speaks about the difference between playing to win and playing NOT TO LOSE.

From the author's website:
Our lives are adventures. At work, at home, and in our communities, we undertake often-difficult endeavors in which the outcomes are unknown, where success and fulfillment are possible - not guaranteed - but only at the cost of working hard, taking risks, and sometimes even facing danger.

On any adventure we have a choice. We can try to simply survive it - clinging to the hope we will get to the end unscathed - or we can try to thrive, allowing the adventure to grow us in ways we could not have imagined when we began. Clearly, the objective of the adventure of our lives is not simply to survive ("Whew, I got to my death safely!!") but to thrive in it and grow.
For too long, I've been playing not to lose.  It's time for a change.

If you greatly desire something, have the guts to stake everything on obtaining it. ~ Brendan Francis

4 comments:

inchwormwv said...

Sometimes I make "progress" by putting myself "out there" in a sink or swim kind of way, and I might accomplish something right then, but because I failed to acknowledge a threshold I find it hard to build on what I did. Not a solid foundation.

Your goals look reasonable and doable, so maybe you don't have that same problem. Just remember to honor your thresholds and have fun. I applaud you for setting goals and working toward your dreams!

Angie said...

Great post! I struggle to find a balance in my goal setting... I have a tendancy to get direct line and legistic with my goals. But if I don't set any I settle and get nowhere!!

Wendy said...

I have read Play to Win at least 5 1/2 times. It's good advice.

Lisa said...

My aim right now is to find a way to motivate myself to get out and do something with my horses. I've tried a few things and it hasn't quite worked out. So I'm trying this.