Realigning goals in the age of uncertainty
2020 is the year that keeps popping dream bubbles right and left. COVID-19 derailed many goals and as the continued use of “unprecedented” and “historic” are in the common lexicon when referring to 2020, I think it’s safe to say that most people feel we are in unusual times.
“A delay is not a denial. It is only a sign that you need to have peace, patience, and trust that in perfect timing what you want will come to you.” ~Anonymous
While setbacks and delays may mean that a dream or a goal seems even further away than when you started, just because something takes longer to happen, doesn’t mean it has been denied.
We are a culture that has become accustomed to plenty and instant gratification. Delays, obstacles and challenges are not necessarily common and waiting can be difficult. At these times, patience and persistence can seem difficult to come by. Examining the wreckage that this pandemic has wrought and the uncertainty of an unpredictable future, makes it challenging to want to commit to goals. But now more than ever, we need to avoid the apathy of rudderless life and re-imagine more agile and adaptive goals.
When you feel disheartened, remember that micro-steps and persistence are keys to keeping dreams alive. A step forward is a step forward. Those longer term visions still need the consistency and persistence of micro-steps today.
Spending time identifying and honoring the micro-steps is critical to momentum and progress. It is the progress and not the perfection that holds weight when the going gets tough. Without recognition of the process and persistence, it could be easy to become disillusioned and succumb to self-inflicted deadlines and unrealistic pressures.
Not meeting an original goal, deadline or needing to adapt your plan to conditions is not a de facto form of failure and even if there is an element of failure, you still have the option to fail forward by learning from the situation. By focusing on the learning and the incremental steps, we can be agile and adaptable when life throws the unexpected in the path you originally intended to take.