Goal Setting: The Challenge of "Showing Up Every Day"

As the New Year draws closer, I have been thinking about setting a few goals for myself, for next year.

I don't really do the whole New Year's Resolutions thing; at most I have a few things I would "like to" see turn out a certain way and the rest of my mild ambitions I phrase as "I hopes."

One of the things I often find most challenging about goal setting is this whole idea of succeeding by "showing up every day." When I say showing up every day what I mean is that you put in some effort to whatever you're trying to accomplish every day, even if it's just a little bit. The theory is that consistency is the key to accomplishment.

I've written about this before, recommending the value of doing so.

That said, it has always proven to be a considerable challenge for me because my creativity tends to ebb and flow in fits and starts and there are a lot of times when applying myself to something "when I don't feel like it" is a bit like pulling teeth without the anesthesia!

That's not to say that I don't see, understand and appreciate the value of this concept of showing up every day.

But if I — for example — set myself the goal of writing a blog post every day in 2024 I know — before I even get started — that there is absolutely no way I would be able to keep to that goal.

The same could be said for putting daily effort into my eBay businesses, or working on marketing for my editing business or anything else I am involved in. Even when it comes to something genuinely enjoyable like my mandala paintings, I still don't show up every day.

Rather than beat myself up over this, I have come to recognize that all any one of us can really do is our best. Much as I'd like to think otherwise "my best" in 2024 will include several week-long breaks and some weeks where I potentially could end up working more than expected for a week or two straight.

I write these words and read them back to myself, and I suddenly find myself feeling very grateful for the fact that I am self-employed! At least I do have the luxury not really of working for myself rather than being required to show up for a job at exactly the same time every day and work till exactly the same time every day.

So does this "story" have a moral?

Indeed, it does! Whereas we all may have read articles and been given advice to the effect that we "need to stretch outside our comfort zones," you're doing yourself no favors by setting goals for yourself that go against your basic nature... especially if you have made it to your mid-30s and beyond, where we tend to be pretty set in our ways.

We're far better off just working with our true nature and throwing the advice books out the window. Maybe that's a bit radical, but at least... only extract what feels relevant from "programs" and other such things.

Yes, it matters because we end up feeling bad about ourselves whenever we feel like we've failed at something... including our goals we set with the intention of changing something in our lives. The point is to feel inspired, not to get depressed!

So if "showing up every day" doesn't really suit your nature... then don't do it!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great rest of your week!

How about you? Are you good about "showing up every day?" Or are you more sporadic, in terms of energy and dedication? Leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

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Created at 2023.12.27 23:44 PST
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