Chasin' your goals!
Here's another in the series on Positive Psychology through Country Music, this time in honor of the late Jerry Reed. The first lines to this song are:
East bound and down, loaded up and truckin!
We gonna do what they say can’t be done.
We’ve got a long way to go and a short time to git there.
I’m east bound just watch ole Bandit run!
My classmate, Caroline Miller, is an expert on goals, and she's helped me re-evaluate their importance. Caroline says the toughest regrets her clients face are those about goals they did not pursue. Goals can generate focus, determination, energy, and excitement.
So, how 'bout you? Any crazy, wild, can't-be-done goals pulling at you? What are you trying to do that "they" say can't be done? Or have you lost the ability to feel the pull? No guarantee you'll succeed, but opting for the safe way often isn't very successful either. What's going to be your story?
These don't have to be pointless, daredevil style goals. Maybe you want to do something that matters. I once ran for and won a seat on the Nasvhille School Board because I wanted to make a difference. Resigned for the same reason. Now I'm working to improve lawyering and education. Seems crazy sometimes, but it sure is energizing! Is something like that pulling at you?
Who's your Smokey? Who's going to try and stop you. I'm not talking about those who have reasonable expectations of you -- family and loved ones. We've all got responsibilities to meet and we need to meet them -- but that's not the complete barrier to pursuing those crazy, demanding, challenging, meaningful goals we sometime make it out to be. No, I'm talking about those out there who're going to want to stop you because, well, maybe just because! Or maybe you scare them. Or threaten them. Whatever. If you lead, some will accuse you of bad motives and personal character flaws. Who's your Smokey?
And who's your Snowman? Or your Bandit? Are you hauling the load, or clearing the path? Who's on your team? Maybe yours aren't solo goals.
If something's been pulling at you, if you've got a goal you've been fighting, you might want to give it another think. If you've lost touch with your goals and are just sort of going through the motions, "fidgeting till you die" as Marty Seligman says, then maybe now's the time to re-engage. Build some well-being, re-configure your explanatory style, dig into your strengths, nurture your relationships. I suspect you'll find some goals glimmering into sight like stars on a moonless night.
OK. Enough preaching. Sometimes that Baptist-since-birth thing just gets the better of me!
Hope y'all are doing well!
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