The only indefinite measure of our existence is time. Knowing this, we place restrictions on ourselves and monitor our progress against a timeframe we believe we can adhere to. How many goals have you set for yourself, and what was the timeframe you provided yourself to attain them? I have recently mastered the art of setting short term goals, and actually accomplishing them. A goal is like a promise that you make to yourself. You are basically telling yourself that you can improve in one area of your life, and you are doing anything and everything to ensure that you follow through. I was not always good at keeping my promises to myself. I would make these crazy long term goals, and completely forget them because I was a huge procrastinator. Before you know it, I would be disappointed with myself yet again because I couldn’t uphold my end of the agreement.
Can you imagine what it is like to not be able to complete a positive task that’s for your very own self-development? We’re not even talking about the promises you have made to your family and friends, or even coworkers. If you are unable to better yourself, how can you speak about self-empowerment? These are questions I would repeatedly ask myself. These are the very questions that made me doubt my own competence. So, in an effort to change the outcome of my future goals, I set a realistic timeframe for myself. I realized, I don’t have to lie to myself. I don’t have to make myself look good on paper, or on social media. My goal is to complete my tasks, and I don’t care how long it takes.
I walk through hallways at work, and pass offices that are decorated with degrees and accomplishments that my peers have achieved. I studied the degrees, and imagined my own name on one of those degrees one day. I saw the prestigious names of the schools and wondered if I too could be associated with such an affluent school. While admiring those degrees which “implied” the person was successful, I realized there were no start dates, only the date they completed their degree. Every single degree I could find, only listed the completion date. This was a game changer for me. This changed my thought process and my approach towards pursuing the completion of my goals. I stopped putting dates on my achievements, and instead decided I will focus on completing what I start. After all, no one really cares when you started a task, they are more concerned with your ability to complete the task, and your efficiency in doing so.