Self-leadership and achieving your goals. And really do hope the year is going well for you and that you are hanging in there and pursuing the goals you wanted to see being achieved this year. And if not remember Self-leaders tend not to dwell on the negative and always look to see the benefits of the situation. The past is not going to invent their future, as this is something they will not entertain. They find a way to move on and create their future; they always find a way to move on, regardless of the circumstances they find themselves in.
When things are not going their way and the whole world seems to be against them, they:
A. accept that they will experience both positive and negative emotions, but they keep moving towards the life they want to live;
B. trust in their abilities and know they can learn from their mistakes as well as their successes;
and
C. follow their instincts, rather than being influenced by the opinions of others.
Now take a moment to identify the last difficulty or problem you had to deal with. Perhaps you couldn’t pay a bill; you couldn’t make a decision whether to accept or reject an invitation; you felt let down by someone and didn’t know what to do about it and so on.
How did you deal with it?
• Did you deal with it head on?
• Did you do nothing in the hope that it would go away?
• Did you get busy, so you didn’t have to think about it?
• Perhaps you hoped someone else would come along and solve it for you.
• Maybe you sought out advice and assistance, so you could deal with it.
Next, please go one step further and name the difficulty, problem or goal that you have to deal with or achieve in your life at this time.
Which option from the above would best assist you at this time? Regardless of the difficulties or problems you are now facing in pursuit of achieving your goal(s), please keep in mind the serenity prayer by Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr: God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that should be changed, And wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.
Self-leaders recognise and accept the fact that overcoming difficulties and problems in pursuit of the life they want to be living does lead to a greater sense of fulfilment. They know that this makes them stronger, ready for the next challenge and whatever difficulties or problems life will present. Sooner or later, most people learn that the future is not determined so much by what happens to them. Who they are and what they become will be decided predominantly by how they respond to the difficulties and problems that confront them and please do let this be the case for you as you pursue your goals.