There is no fast track to anything. We need energy to stay consistent, focused and in the game. But what gives us energy?
Without it, or when we have consistently low energy, we’re not giving our best. And no one feels good in that scenario.
It would be great if we could wake up one morning and all of a sudden, our goals and dreams had come true. But we’re all wise enough to know that its not going to happen, and we have to put the work in if we want results in anything.
And even if everything could change overnight, would you want it to?
Isn’t half the fun (or sense of achievement) found in the ‘getting there’. Overcoming the smaller obstacles. Growing in confidence. Continuing to show up when we’re struggling to see the point.
Knowing what it is that gives us energy is what keeps us going.
Positive Psychology.com share a brilliant exercise, where they ask people to think about playing a game of basketball. To imagine yourself playing each shot, envisaging yourself and your team-mates working through the game and eventually hitting the winning score. You can see the scoreboard, and your winning shot puts your team in the lead right at the last minute.
Then they ask you to consider how you would feel playing the game, if you knew what the outcome was going to be. If you knew the score would be in your favour at the end, would you still play the game with the same amount of energy?
It’s a great example highlighting the difference between goals and values. The goal might be to win the game, but your values indicate how you play the game; being a team player, giving your best, and the way in which you approach it.
Goals can be achieved, but it doesn’t happen without consistent effort. And the amount of energy that we bring in achieving our goals is what really counts.
Knowing when to work hard, knowing when to rest, knowing how to pick ourselves up after disappointment, knowing not to get too complacent when things are going well.
This is what gives us the energy to keep going.
But it also highlights how important it is to choose goals that are in alignment with our values. We need to have something to gain, to make the work worth it.
So, if you are struggling to find or maintain the energy you need to persevere with something, ask yourself why you’re doing it. Why is it important to you? And how important is the way in which you’re going to achieve it? What other things are you going to gain, in addition to the positive outcome?
Photo credit: Carl Nenzen Loven on Unsplash.com