Free Articles from ArticlesFactory . Stop the cycle of struggle: Many times, if we areunaware of what the goal will bring us, we may be sabotaging our efforts.For our example, we will use freedom.AreYou Spinning Your Wheels? By Holly Stokes, The Work Smart Wellness Coach Do you feel like you are caught in the hamster wheel oflife? Spinning your wheels and seeming to get nowhere? Each January is amarker of a new year, and a wonderful time to take measure of our progress, andre-focus ourselves for the coming year. Re-evaluate your wants: In light of this exercise,and being aware of what you really want, re-evaluate your wants list. To begin identifying whats really going on, try this exercise. In this mode of focusing only on goals, we are running on that hamsterwheel, spinning the wheel, but feeling like we are not making progress, becausewe are not getting what we really want. Makeplans, not goals.Freedom might be taking a walk at noonor perhaps taking time on Saturday to visit a local tourist spot that you havebeen meaning to see for awhile. Usually the Ultimate Whys are a sense of something, a feeling,or a way of being.
From this process, I can see that ultimately, what I reallywant is freedom. Prioritize themand then turn them into plans. Its not over yet thought, because we then berate ourselves forfailing the goal, and wonder, why cant I just be more disciplined? Timepasses, we think about what we should be doing, and the vicious cyclerepeats.Identify which wants are still worthwhile and important to you. It works like a pyramid, with actionsat the top, and thoughts and feelings making up the base. If we focus only on our outcomes, (actions)and dont take into account our thoughts and feelings, we may be losing thebattle and missing most of the action. Create what you really want now: On a separate sheetof paper, brainstorm all the ways you can connect with that freedom now. Then make it happen, set aside time to let yourself connect withyour Ultimate Why. Or, we forget about trying again, but are left feeling guilty, lazyor undisciplined. If you are focusing your efforts simply on setting andachieving goals, you may be missing most of the battle. You can have it now and its free! Now, look back through your list of the Ultimate Whys, andlook for recurring themes. On the right column, list everything youwant. Make this your first goal, but since words carry weight, andgoals depict pass fail and past struggle, lets call it a plan instead. If achieving your goalsfeels like struggle, you need to take a look at what is going on behind thescenes. The secret is, you can have what youreally want right now. Many times we pick our goals to fill a lack, withouteven being aware of what that lack is. Whats really going on? What do you want What itwill give you The Benefit of the Benefit. When you begin making your plans from a place ofsatisfaction and happiness, life becomes an expression of who you are, what youlove, and the possibilities continue to expand. All too often, however, the goodintentions we made in January slowly fade and are gone by February. What is going on behind the scenes? Glad you asked. Come up with several ways to create Wheel Hubs company it now inyour life. Your business becomes a vehiclefor filling your lifes mission and purpose, and adding to the lives of thosearound you.It is our thoughts and feelings that inspire action and inaction. This article isfor those whove ever been caught on that wheel, those who have fallen off thewheel, and those who want to make their forward motion really count! The Wheel: Typically, our path to achievement is tothink of what we want, then set a goal, stick with it a couple of days, (maybeeven a week or two), make some forward motion, then lose focus and revert toour old ways. Pick one that repeats in your list for the next exercise.
Then inthe middle column, identify the benefit of what that goal will give you. Forexample, if my want is to earn X amount of dollars, and as I begin to make moremoney, I take part of the new cash flow and buy a new car (create a new bill),it may not be adding to my freedom or peace of mind, but will be taking awayfrom it. The secret is, you dont have to wait until youve made Xamount of dollars, or filled some other goal in order to have that Ultimate Whynow in your life. For example, if I say I want Xamount of dollars, I might identify that it will allow me to pay my billseasily, and the benefit of the benefit (paying bills easily) might give me asense of freedom. It can be anything, a new car, more money, friends, family, etc. When people are caught on thehamster wheel, they move from one goal to the next, If only I could make moremoney, then I will have peace of mind, then I will be happy. In thethird column, identify the benefit of the benefit. Take out a clean sheet ofpaper and divide it into 3 columns. And by taking care of what you really want, youmultiply your forward motion, and enjoy the entire journey. Its bestto do it now as it will only take a few minutes. Findways that are easy and within reach, something you can do daily, or weekly. The problem with goal setting is in how we pick ourgoals in the first place. If when youhear goal setting you think of hard work, past failures, and think whybother, you may have been caught on the hamster wheel before. The benefit of the benefit is your Ultimate Why. For instance, you might find stability comes up afew times, or freedom or adventure. Put a star next to the themes that arerecurring for you. Would youagree that our thoughts affect our actions? Do our feelings affect ourthoughts? Do our feelings affect our actions? As you can see, actions,thoughts, and feelings are inter-related. How to get off the hamster wheel: Identify yourUltimate Whys
