| Have you heard high achievers and experts say ‘focus on your vision and go for it’? James Kuegler is great at helping people create ‘hairy audacious goals’ and then set about going after them. However, what happens when you go after these and along the way you do not reach the heights you imagined you would? For instance you get seriously injured, there is a bereavement in the family, work circumstances change or possibly you are in the middle of the race of your dreams and you break a leg (literally). |  |
Firstly, during the setting of your goals proactively being very specific with the challenges that you could or do face and endeavouring to create action plans around them. This could involve simply figuring out what the plan is when your child is unwell or maybe you need to ensure you have the knowledge to provide the antidote to snake venom whilst running in the Amazon. James Kuegler is fabulous at assisting you to control as many uncontrollables as possible.
Secondly flexibility. No not the mobility and stretches that are important for performance. Flexibility in this context is the ability to react to the new unwelcomed situation and adapting accordingly. Taking space to reset, re-evaluate in order to make the best decision at the time and move forward. Perhaps prior to a race the aeroplane is delayed and new plans need to be made or perhaps during a race you are faced with a race ending injury.
Big disappointments really hurt. Self-forgiveness is needed in such circumstances. This ensures you can heal and lovingly forgive the pain and hurt you feel whether that is physical or mental. If it doesn’t hurt from a mental perspective then it likely was not a large enough dream or goal. Allowing yourself this time and space is often required when the motivation to run is low, when the fun has reduced and you are literally running on empty.
However, even after specific goals, adapting and self-forgiveness, your support network is essential, if not the most important. These are the friends, family, professionals and coaches whom can perform the simplest of loving, caring and at times ruthless actions that propel you towards your initial goal or a brand spanking new one with motivation and energy. For instance, the shoe or sock change during an ultra-marathon where you are incapable of doing so. Or maybe when you have not reached your initial dream, a coach points out the fabulous new race overseas which catches your attention. The support network pats you off and assists you to your feet.
In order to reap the rewards of these tips in times of struggle it is important to start implementing them NOW. Does your goal have the flexibility, the support network and the specifics required to manage anything that crops up in your road? Can you forgive yourself for the little things in life now? Because if you cannot forgive for the smallest of ‘failures’, then it will be challenging to forgive the bigger more hurtful ones.
If you start implementing these steps now, in the future when you have gone after the ‘big hairy audacious’ goal and tripped up along the way, you will find incredible resources within yourself and your support network to allow you to climb even higher next time. And maybe you’ll be part of a support network for someone else and can share this article to keep them chasing that big hairy audacious’ goal! So keep in mind, yes ‘shit’ does happen and yet it can lead to the most courageous and most fulfilling of achievements in the long-term. What will you choose to do when it happens to you?
Article by Rachael Kingstone.
NLP Trainer at Inspiration Activated.
Physiotherapist at Physio Moves.
