Blog Post 9: Challenge Your Intentions and To Do List
How many of us write down our goals at the beginning of the year, and then the end of the year rolls around and we make excuses and justifications for why we didn't get them done? I am guilty of this, and I became really tired of my own shit. To the outside world it might've seemed like I was crushing goals and filling every minute of my day with actions that will lead to my eventual success. I would achieve those successes, but somehow still feel like it wasn't enough, or my goals had somehow become smaller and less significant the closer I came to achieving them. Now, don't get me wrong this is a great quality. Ambition and passion are the main ingredients in the attainment of goals...but what if the goal attainment doesn't feed the soul? What if you started realizing that the check mark on the "to do" list isn't as fulfilling as it had once been, or you once had made it out to be? What if being busy is now just a form of anxiety and being lost, and not actually wanting to deal with underlying issues and problems? Yep, experienced all of these feelings first hand last year.
Let me take you Back to 2010 when I was a young Enlisted Soldier deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom I worked around a lot of medical Officers who inspired the hell out of me (to say the least). There was a moment, back in that sandbox where I had made up my mind that I wanted to be an Army Officer. I immediately went to work, got my to do list all set up and I was ready to be a leader in the capacity of an officer. After graduating college and commissioning I was there. I had made it...four years and a lot of hard work later. After three more phenomenal years in the Army I began to realize something peculiar. The Officers that I had looked up to my entire career were some of the most bad ass human beings with great qualities, and their rank was just icing on the cake. Their rank was the metric to show all of the blood, sweat, and tears of hard work and dedication. What I am trying to say is that I had it wrong all along. We can all aspire and achieve if we are willing to put in the hard work. But can we all be people with qualities that other people look up to? Do our actions inspire the people around us to want to aim higher, dream bigger, or step out of their comfort zones? When I had aspired to be an Officer while I was a young (lowest on the totem pole) Soldier, I was actually aspiring to attain certain admirable leadership qualities that I had seen day in and day out from these brave and bright souls.
Anyway, to sum this up. I am challenging you to challenge your to do list. Challenge your goals and aspirations. Challenge the people you follow on your social media, and challenge the people you let into your life. Ask yourself why at least three times when looking at each goal. Get to the root of why you want to attain a goal and if it isn't compelling enough or your three whys make you wonder or rethink anything....I would say don't waste your time. If your list is suddenly blank that is awesome! Now you have a chance to really focus on the why, and what is going to bring you that true sense of fulfillment and not a false sense of power or attainment of accolades or money. Now you have the time to see what qualities that you want to emulate and surround yourself with, not what plaques you want to hang on the wall. The growth and well being of your character and soul should be on the forefront when making life plans and goals, because at the end of the day depth, meaning, and making a difference is what really matters, whether it is being the best yoga instructor, friend, cook, or scientist, do it because your three why's got you there.
I want to refer a book that goes into great depth about your why. Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, by the one and only Simon Sinek. Simon Sinek is a business strategist for Fortune 500 companies and for the Military. This book isn't just for those who want to be great leaders this book is for those who want to break down their why and change their goals and to do lists in order to reach a more compelling and meaningful outcome. He is a genius author and speaker. A lot of his work is on You Tube and he has one of the top TED talks as well that I highly recommend. As always, I have posted the book below for direct purchase thru Amazon.
P.S. The photos at the top of the page were taken this time last year at Garden of the God's Park in Colorado Springs, CO. My photographer was a magician. The backgrounds almost look fake they are so pretty. My dress I got in Mexico about 2 years prior and never wore it till this shoot and it matched seamlessly with the setting and my surroundings. Fun photo shoot times!
Be Beautiful. Be Brave.
XOXO,