When challenges and excuses seem to begin to creep in, stand firm and stick to your schedule and goals to get results. Recently, my computer decided when I turned it on to beep then wait five seconds and do this repeatedly with nothing but a black screen. This was very unexpected so I asked my husband to come take a look at my computer. He informs me that he thinks it might be the ram. We do a little check from home and it was a no go. That meant a trip to the Apple store genius bar.
I find out it’s the logic board and that it will take a week to repair my computer. I’m standing there looking at my husband with a panicked face. I have to figure out a way to meet my magazine deadline without a computer. Many scenarios took place and finally we ended up driving back home to see if we could take the old computer and limp it along to make it work. It was way slow, but it worked.
The reason I’m relaying this challenge of mine is we all face them and they all come at moments that are most inconvenient. I was not a calm person because I couldn’t fix this challenge on my own. I needed expert help.
How do you handle challenges? Do you use it as an excuse to not do things you need to do? When you have deadlines or personal goals, you need to stick to it so you can get results and not use the excuse as a way out of doing. Are there other things you can do in the meantime?
For me I have a book that I’m in the middle of re-writing, “The Wedding Scam” and I wanted to get that completed this week before my Beta-Readers get back to me with changes on my book, “A Forever Love”. Both books need my attention, along with other things on my plate to promote and get things setup for marketing.
The list of things I have to do is rather long but I don’t look at the overall list, I only focus on the next thing on it. I keep my focus small each day so I can accomplish more in a given day or week. My focus had to change for this week due to no computer. I looked at my list of things to do and adjusted items lower on the list and that didn’t need a computer, up on the list. They had to be accomplished also and this would give me a chance to get them done.
Instead of saying, “I’m taking the week off,” it is allowing me to get other things done that are just as important to the process of my goals to get results. Things that get pushed back because other things are a priority, yet these things are important too and may be required before you can complete your goals.
Results mean you don’t slack off of your goals just because a challenge changed your focus. Redirection is good sometimes so that when you return to the original goal you are refreshed and can focus on that task better than before. Don’t allow yourself to make excuses because as soon as you do, you slack off, you give yourself another day off because of this challenge or that challenge and before you know it a month has gone by and you haven’t done anything you said you would do.
Looking at a goal and wishing they would come true, does not make it so. Hard work, dedication, focus and commitment accomplish your goals. If you are getting burnt out then perhaps you have too much on your plate at one time. Evaluate your calendar and make sure you are planning in some fun, family time, date nights and ways to get recharged too. Otherwise, you end up resenting the very goal you are trying to accomplish.
If you are working on goals for yourself and a challenge abruptly changes your direction, stand firm with yourself and don’t allow excuses. Stick to your calendar and work on other things during your time. Don’t give yourself permission to make excuses, to be negative or to just be lazy and procrastinate.
Use every moment to your advantage with the time you schedule for your goals and you will get results. There is always a way to get something done. If it’s health related then adjust your schedule so you have time to heal and you have time to work on your goals too. You may have to decrease how many hours you work at once, or you may have to change how many days you work, but you still work towards your goals. You just make adjustments and don’t allow excuses.
I hope you will leave a comment on how you overcame challenges in your life in order to stick to your own goals. If this post was encouraging or helpful to you, please share it with others.
Have a blessed week!
