Life is a wolf in sheep’s clothing & has a way of deceiving itself as being a “paint by numbers” pursuit.
We are given specific milestones that tell us we are on the right track; we should be walking by 13.5 months, talking by 18 months, passing kindergarten to go onto middle school until finally you are receiving your diploma.
The same can be said about growth. From the time you are born, you are growing without any effort. You get bigger, stronger & taller without any specific intention of doing so. Your body knows what to do & it does it.
But what happens on the other side of this mysterious door of adulthood?
We wait our whole life for this magical moment; the rules all change and we have all the freedom we ever dreamed of. But what waits on the opposing door isn’t paint by numbers and then you have that sudden moment of panic where you want everything from your childhood back.
So you decide to flow like water. You follow each opportunity that feels right, take what you can get and hope that these gut decisions will someday lead you to a career of your dreams & one where you feel truly fulfilled.
What I have come to realize is that every decision, every interaction and every challenge is preparing you for the moment when your purpose and passion finally collide. But how do we ensure we are headed in the right direction? Life doesn’t steer itself and unless we take the wheel, we can’t be sure where we will end up.
In comes goal setting. Such a seemingly simple ritual but it is one that is often forgotten or put off. The first step is to start with your 10 year vision as this is the the sum of each goal you set and the end point in which you are going. This vision has no limits. What would you be doing if there were no li
mits on your potential? Three well-rounded areas to consider would be health, personal & career.
Once you have your vision set, you can begin to work backwards. What would need to be accomplished at 5 years to be half way there? What would need to happen in 1 year to get you going? Once clear on your vision, you will start taking small steps that bring you closer to your vision without even knowing it! Our minds are like missiles and once we have a target, we are drawn towards it.
Eleanor Roosevelt says it best; “do one thing a day that scares you.” Our ambitions and courage to pursue our dreams are muscles that we need practice but it order to build confidence, it starts with a series of smaller steps.
Once you do decide to leave the comfort of the nest and start pursing your wildest dreams; your passion & purpose will form into one and this is your calling. Now go get at it.
