From Goals to Action - The Best Adventure
“Life is either a Daring Adventure or Nothing.”
In 1998 I stood on the edge of Victoria Falls Bridge, Zimbabwe, ready to bungee jump 111 metres over the Zambezi. I was terrified and almost backed out. I was on a 6 week adventure to test myself, stretch myself and do things I’d never done before. I had my safety harnesses on, had had my training and had watched the rest of my group go before me. I still wasn’t sure. I hesitated. The guide told me it was more dangerous for me to back out than to go forward. I believed him and jumped.
Ok I’m not saying that we all need to do something truly life threatening to overcome our fears and procrastination but we are 10 days into 2022 already.
You’ve decided your New Year’s Resolutions.
Written your goals and targets, realigned your Vision.
You’re ready to go.
And then you hesitate.
Whether you’ve set your targets already or your next step is to turn big dreams into achievable goals have you hit a point yet when you think now what? Started wondering how you are going to do all of the things you’ve set yourself to do?
I know that feeling. It can turn from excitement to overwhelm quickly. The idea of expanding your business, making more money and having more free time sounds great. Your brain then says, yeah right, how are you gonna do all of that? You’ve hit your peak, you’ve no more tricks, you don’t have the time to make time to have more time. More money more problems. Your brain goes into overdrive with worry and concern.
Oh yes, I know how it feels to be tripped up by my own thinking just to get started on achieving a dream.
The thing is, the bigger the dream or the more we want it, the more we procrastinate and push it away. We busy ourselves doing everything else, but the one thing we want.
So when it comes time to do the new thing and you don’t want to. How can you motivate yourself forwards to become who you want to be?
Helen Keller wrote that quote, Life is either a daring adventure or nothing in a book she published in 1940, ‘Let Us Have Faith’.
Helen was deaf and blind from 18 months old. She became an acclaimed author, political activist for disability rights and a lecturer.
Helen experienced the world differently already. At first people did not how to manage her or deal with her but her Mother kept faith. Helen trusted the adventure of life and that she could work things out using what she did have available to her. She lived life as a daring adventure.
I love the quote because it reminds me not to take everything so seriously and to look at things that I’m afraid of with a sense of wonder, intrigue and excitement at what the experience might bring. When I think something will be an adventure, I think about what I will go through to get there, the stories I will have out of it, what I will learn AND the joy of reaching my goal.
But the adventure comes first.
An Adventure means ‘an unusual and exciting or daring experience or to ‘engage in daring or risky activity’
Adventure evokes Feelings of Excitement and Trepidation and it tells me that Action is required. You have to do activity to be on an adventure. There is motion and change from one state to a new unknown one.
These 3 words also sum up my thoughts on Adventure.
Unpredictability. If you know what’s going to happen exactly it’s not an adventure.
Unusual. It’s different to what you normally do. It’s different to what others may expect of you. It’s different to what others may be doing and that’s ok because it’s an adventure.
Risk. You know where you are aiming for but you don’t know exactly what you will face on the way there and how you will overcome the challenges but you willingly want to have the experience. You want to experience the moments of beauty and tranquility AND the drama and excitement!
So when you look at your goals. Look at them as an adventure. Think about the kit you want to take with you on your journey, some of it you will use, some you will jettison and some you will pick up and fashion along the way. Think of your mentors and guides. Some will give you parting wisdom, others you will meet on the journey. You will have pauses to sit learn and reflect, set backs, fast forwards and create stories and experiences.
Your Life and Your 2022 Goals are your Daring Adventure. Step forward with trepidation, excitement and faith.
Love
Denise
ps This year is all about adventure for me. I will be using my other values to fuel my progress, Curiosity, Kindness, Courage and Connection and my over-arching theme will be ADVENTURE.
pps If you want to make more money and have more time and freedom. I can help you take the next step from goal to action. If you want to make big changes in your life, I can help.
Email me here and tell me what you want to achieve, so you can take the next step.
Book a call and let’s talk.
