Speaking of work and the reasons for it brought a flood of comments. Obviously this is something many of us think about a lot.
Part of the coaching strategies I always employ and fervently believe in is holding a very clearly defined personal vision of the future. Once a vision is known it is relatively easy to track backwards to the present and fill in the steps required to realize the desired ending. These steps become the daily, weekly and monthly goals to achieve.
Once goals are in place it becomes easy to set measurements of some kind in order to have a certain comfort level one is in control of a life. (If there is such a thing!) However, most of us are a bit fearful of measurements. The biggest reason is fear of failure.
We see measurements as an indication of failing to meet goals instead of the real reason for measurement which is simply an indication of direction. Are we doing better or worse than expected? Are there obvious changes needed to be made in the general plan to effect more consistent or more rapid movement? Are we even going down the right path?
In my opinion, many people (quite possibly a huge majority), will not take these steps as outlined simply because it means doing things differently. It means moving out of a comfort zone where change is uncomfortable – alarmingly so.
This brings to mind two quotes I have heard in the last several weeks that have reverberated in my mind over and over:
Newt Gingrich said in a speech a few weeks ago “Comfortable failure is preferable to the fear of real change.”
Then there is this common saying: “Life begins at where our comfort zone ends.”
So what is your vision? Are you on a path to realize it? Does your work life (obviously the majority of your waking time) accurately reflect this?
I hope so!
