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The Journey
Planning
The theme ‘shift your mindset to achieve goals’ is important to me right now and I hope my story resonates.
A year ago when I first started conceiving the idea of Grow Design Influence I set some meaningful goals. I felt compelled to help others who are in a similar situation to me. I believe in the power of design and the positive change that it can bring to our world. I was sitting back and watching global issues turn into crisis points and I wanted to be a part of the solution. I felt strongly that a large part of that solution is in the individual minds of us all. I had seen first-hand the difference I could make in the world just by working on my own state of mind. It was game-changing to the impact I was having on the projects I was working on.
Let's Go!
Here’s the thing though. I believe so strongly in what I’m doing right now, but I have been feeling resistance and tiredness. Recently, I worked through this with a coach because I wanted to understand why. Even though I feel fully aligned and my goals and vision are right, I was beginning to lose some energy and motivation.
When I began this Grow Design Influence business, I began a journey and I started walking, guided by my vision and goals. The destination was clear. Everything was new and exciting and I was watching the scenery pass and was getting to know people along the way. I was fully engaged with all my senses and lapping up all the details. I was present and happy.
Beginning to run
Little by little the excitement of the journey began to fade and I got fidgety. I was less focused on my immediate surroundings and I began to focus so much more on the destination. I took the scenery for granted and I stopped focusing on my senses. I began to jog. Without really realising it I was running towards the destination but I couldn’t get to it because it always seemed out of reach. I was dirty, hot and bothered and running into obstacles feeling frustrated.
My focus was on speed, towards the destination. I was going fast but the joy was gone from the journey. I was tired and working at a rate that wasn’t sustainable and I was missing important details. The journey began to feel unsafe and I began to wonder why I had begun in the first place.
Shift Your Mindset to Achieve Goals
The North Star
This understanding has helped me stop running and start walking again. It helped me observe and think about what was happening. Instead of seeing my goals as a destination, I reimagined them as a guide or a north star. It is bright and it guides, but it is not a destination. The ultimate goal is the journey itself because it’s about the experiences, curiosity, the people I meet along the way and compassion. It’s about clarity of mind, learning, teaching and problem-solving. When I’m walking, I can stop and explore something I come across, knowing that my goals are still guiding me in the right direction and that the exploration is just as important. This process of exploration fosters personal growth and the evolution of ideas. The mindset to achieve goals does not focus on the goal with tunnel vision but instead practices openness, seeking opportunities for growth, and curiosity.
Valleys and Hills
As I slow down I can understand the journey better. My journey has ups and downs. When I’m on top of hills I can see everything clearly, I know that everything is where it should be and I can see how it fits together. I can see where I’m going next and where I have come from. Getting to the top is always a hard climb but it’s so worth it and by slowing down I can stop at the top and appreciate the milestone. When I’m in the valleys it is much less sure, it’s harder to navigate, it’s darker, the vegetation is thick and it is challenging, but I know it’s part of the journey to another hill. The hills do not exist without the valleys. The mindset to achieve goals is one of celebrating milestone successes and knowing that the challenges are the preparation for the hills.
The Link to Vision and Goals
Not a destination
The north star is my vision and goals and they guide the daily work that happens in my life and business. They guide the general direction and the steps I take. What I hadn’t realised until now is that goals cannot be a destination and a sole focus because when they are, you lose sight of the joy. There is too much pressure and you are blinded to possible side paths that might be important. They might solve an important problem, or help you grow, refocus and re-prioritise.
I think you need to be particularly careful of this trap when your star is shining really brightly. When you stop being in your body and experiencing the journey, then the joy is gone and it’s easy to work in an unsustainable way which leads to burn-out. You lose your curiosity, your empathy and your compassion for others; you are in tunnel vision.
Key Lessons
I want to help you get something from my experience so here I will summarise my key take-home messages.
1 – Vision is important because it keeps you moving forward in the right direction. For more on goal setting, you can read my Goal Setting article.
2 – Don’t mistake your vision for a destination because you will lose sight of the most important part – the journey.
3 – When the vision is a guide, not a destination it has the capacity to grow and change as you experience different things during your journey.
4 – The enjoyment of the journey comes from connecting to your body and senses, your relationships, solving problems along the way and celebrating at the top of hills. Make sure these are a priority! To prioritise your senses practice mindfulness, being present in your surroundings and listening to the cues of your body. Sit with and embrace discomfort. It is telling you something important so make friends with it and seek to understand it.
What's Your Journey?
I love working with visual metaphors, such as my journey above. I find them so helpful in understanding life and its meaning. It makes everything so much clearer! As I wrote this story I felt it was cliché but that doesn’t matter because it is something I could strongly relate to. I’m in my best place when I’m out hiking in the wilderness so it works for me.
Everybody is different and has different challenges and different things they relate to. It’s so much easier to identify these things when you are working with someone else that has an unbiased perspective. A different perspective can help see the areas that need focus. It gives you a stage to test ideas and it makes you prioritise the hard work of thinking about your thinking. When you are in the thick of everyday life, you can’t always see everything clearly.
If you would like to work with me, check out my coaching page and get in touch. I offer free consultations to see if I’m the right fit and to establish how I can best help you. I believe that every person in this world is important and has something unique and precious to give the world.
Resources
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