We´ve all heard it before: In order to live a truly full-filled and successful life, we need to have a concrete vision. Set ourselves clearly defined goals.
But goal setting alone is not enough. You need to be a master in following through.
Let me ask you the following question: Have you ever suddenly felt drained of energy? As if every single drop of energy had just left your body? And all that remains is a feeling of overwhelming exhaustion.
One of the reasons for this could be that you´re spending the vast majority of your time being lived by your talents. As opposed to living them.Giving them so much space that they are literally reacting to each and every impulse.
Worst case scenario of living your life in such a highly reactive state is burnout.
So, what to do? To stop and prevent your talents from living your life.Unconsciously and uncontrollably making every single one of your decisions.
You need to give your talents a purpose. A clear direction. In other words: a goal.
And guess what? You can do so without any further delay! You can start by simply setting yourself one small goal a day.
One such goal could be: to go for a daily walk. The big picture here could be that you decide to take care of your physical well-being.
And on every walk, you add an exercise involving your talents. You decide which one of them you´re consciously going to invite to join you on your walk.
So, on one morning you choose “Restorative” as your companion. Restoring your health is what this walk is all about.
On another walk, “Achiever” is your go-to guy. Today you really want to achieve walking those 5 kilometers that you´ve been dreaming about.
And then on a different day, you choose your talent “Focus.” You truly want to focus on the actual process of walking. With every step, you feel the ground under your feet.
Yes, it can be as “simple” as this. Consciously choosing which talents to invite into the various aspects of your life. Giving your talents acknowledgment. Recognition. And appreciation.
In other words, setting yourself small goals shows your talents that you know exactly what you´re doing. You have a plan. You´re the one in the driver’s seat. You´re the decision-maker in this relationship.
And with this, you give your talents the chance to live up to their true potential: to be the best support system you could have ever imagined.
But keep in mind, the key to “success” is that you set yourself a positive goal. One that´s realistic. Authentic. Achievable. Only then can you truly feel motivated to follow-through.
With a clear destination in mind, it becomes a lot easier for you to dance with your talents. Choosing which talent to activate. When. In what capacity. And to what extent. Over and over and over again.
So, why not take the initiative today when it comes to your talents. You owe it to yourself. And to your vision.
Are you achieving your goals or have your talents taken over?
photo: Judith E. Kovács
