Mandy Santos

How was your first week of 2019?

I hate to burst your bubble, but all that the optimism you had while you were dreaming and making goals for the year will fade if it hasn’t already.

You’ll sleep through the alarm, a kid will get sick, a car will break down (hopefully not all at once), or some other outside circumstance will disrupt your perfect plan you just created.

When that happens, what are you going to do?

So often we make our plans with the best-case scenario in mind.

  • We imagine the ideal week, and schedule our workout sessions accordingly.
  • We think of who we are at our peak emotionally and mentally, and write out meal plans or family plans (or any plans) with her in mind.

We picture our best life and set goals for that life. The problem is, our best life isn’t everyday life. Far from it.

I’ll struggle to fall asleep one night and not feel like running or writing, much less facing the world, the next day. My kids are going to have a bad day and I won’t want to cook dinner. I’m going to have a bad day and will feel like pushing everyone away.

Unfortunately, I’ll probably have more days that look like that than days living my best life. But it’s the hard, everyday life I’m working on, not my best life.

Best life living is easy. Best life living is motivating. Best life living is productive. I don’t need to make goals for that life. It’s the grueling days I want to change. Those are the days I’m trying to get better at.

Look at the goals you’ve made so far, and imagine being able to accomplish those goals on your worst week.

A week where you were given bad news at work, someone was mean to you, or nothing goes your way.

  • Can you still go for a run then?
  • Can you still create something meaningful?
  • Can you still engage with those around you?

If you can imagine yourself hitting your goals on your worst week (and they’re moving you closer to your purpose), then you’ve made some great goals.

If your goals will only happen on your best days or when the stars align, go back and re-evaluate. It’s what we do during hard weeks that reveal our character, our true self.

Goals are great when they carry us closer to our purpose. Goals are frustrating when they don’t take into account our true self, our current reality. Be honest about your reality and soon enough your reality will change.

This year can be different. This could be the year you take new ground.

M

P. S. Want to pursue your purpose this year? Download my FREE guide here and get started today!