Personally, I am still celebrating the achievement of a goal—becoming a licensed Acupuncturist and Practitioner of Oriental Medicine. So, in addition to my services as a Life Coach, I will now be able to support clients using this medicine.
I am proud of my accomplishments, which included the completion of a four-year graduate program, close to one thousand clinic hours, treating hundreds of patients, and passing four national certification board exams. Unlike some goals in my life, I was extraordinarily prepared to pursue this one.
The goal of becoming an Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Practitioner was not the first one for me that really grabbed my attention, this time, however, I was more ready to really achieve. As I discuss with my clients, there is no wrong choice. If it makes your heart sing, you can achieve it. The path may not always be easy to travel, and yet, if you stay focused on your vision, you can achieve it.
A few things that I recommend to maintain focus:
- Reconnect with your vision, the “Why” of your goal
- Keep things in perspective
- Stay mindful of accomplishments
1. What does the achievement of your goal mean to you? What will change? What will your life be like once you reach your goal? This is what I mean by your vision or the “Why” of your goal. This is your intrinsic motivation to strive toward a goal or to make any change. Reconnect with your vision often to maintain motivation and alignment with your dream. With my clients I compare this to autopilot in a plane. You set the course, and keep checking in to adjust for environmental influences. A plane will continually get slightly off course, due to air currents, for example, and the autopilot will make the needed adjustments to keep the flight on track.
2. This leads to keeping things in perspective. Understand that it is possible to reach a goal despite getting slightly off course every now and then. Sometimes, it may be necessary to veer around an obstacle. Be like an autopilot—it does not feel guilty or worthless for straying slightly. The autopilot checks in with the desired coordinates and realigns. There are no doubts about the coordinates—these are as valid as they were in the beginning.
This is where reconnecting with your vision will rekindle your passion, helping you keep things in perspective. A bump in the road is simply that. It does not need to be a sign that you shouldn’t take that road. Remember that any goal will require your commitment and continued pursuit to be achieved. This is part of learning and growing. If you already had all the skills and knowledge you need to achieve your goal, then you are not growing as a person. No change would be necessary. So, keep things in perspective. You are capable and worthy of your dream.
3. Stay mindful of your accomplishments along the way. Notice your gained competence. Now you are able to do _______________, or at first doing ____________________ was slow and difficult, now it comes naturally. Celebrate.
You were perfectly fine with your skillset and knowledge before; you have, however, added to your portfolio. Revel in the achievement. You are one step closer to reaching your goal. This is the fun. As the saying goes, it is the journey that is the adventure.
As you progress, and continually reconnect with your vision, maintain perspective, and celebrate accomplishments, you will notice how quickly you move toward you goal. Before you know it, you will be setting your sights on the next target.
Enjoy the journey!
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