Generally I have pretty high expectations for myself. While this isn’t bad inherently, it kind of exacerbates my already-perfectionistic tendencies. And if I don’t meet up to these expectations, I do one of two things: 1) Brush it off and congratulate myself on a good effort, or 2) Let the guilt of failed goals settle in–and camp out . . . for a really long time. These reactions certainly apply to my athletic pursuits, but they creep into my life goals and wishes. For the most part, I try hard to meet the expectations I’ve set for myself, but let’s be honest, some of these optimistic goals are never really what I want to do, so those are the failures I don’t allow to bug me very much. But those goals I really strive to conquer? I’m crushed when they aren’t achieved, and I spend too much time worrying about what I could have done better.
The good news is that I’m human, and as such, I’m not alone in this thinking. Now why do I bring this up? I’m setting new goals for myself and am scared that they won’t pan out despite the effort I’ll put into them. I’m terrified of the what-ifs. I’m afraid that I won’t be good enough or that I’ll give up on the goal. But I don’t want to. I really want to meet this goal. I can do it, but I need to be motivated enough to put in the effort and be satisfied with the result. Sorry that I’m being vague, but I needed an outlet to share these thoughts. When I really solidify my goals into manageable pieces, I’ll let you know, but in the meantime, I need a new mantra.
What are some mantras that you live by when you’re working on a goal?
