Like many people, I tend to view September as a second new year. It’s when most of us return to routines after a less-structured summer and we get the chance to refocus on new (or revised) goals for the rest of the year.
If you happened to make New Year’s resolutions in January—or set some new intentions for yourself—hopefully, a few of them stuck and have become a reality. If you are like most people, however, some of those goals have yet to be reached.
When it comes to achieving goals in today’s society, one of the biggest obstacles is that we simply have too many choices. All of this choice can be paralyzing as we struggle to figure out what is “best.”
Here are the steps to take to get unstuck and move forward:
1. Settle for less than perfect. Don’t try to find the perfect solution, the perfect choice, the perfect partner or the perfect job. Sometimes “good enough” is our best choice. It permits us to keep moving forward, to learn, to create and to live. Settle for a choice that meets your core requirements and not your ideal.
2. Commit to your choice. Once you make that “good enough” choice, commit to it fully. Put all your energy into making it happen, which is just as important as the choice itself.
3. Start today. Don’t wait for another new year or season to start. Your best life doesn’t have to be tied to a month or a year. It is right now that counts. It is not the past or the years of our lives that define us, but rather the many moments that we string together to make our best life.
So, I encourage you to treat this beautiful September day as your “new you” day and commit to setting a new goal— an imperfect one—to move forward. Because this is it! There are no dress rehearsals in life! We only get one. But, luckily, we do get many chances along the way to make it the best life we can.
As always, if you need a little help taking that first step, I’m here.
With appreciation,
Claudia