Happy Fix: You are Here; How to Get There

Running a business, raising a family, and other endeavors in life require setting goals.  I’ve always looked at goals and how to achieve them as a sort of map of life.  Maybe it’s my social studies background but I love the idea of a destination with multiple ways to get there.  

Different people achieve their goals in different ways.  Some have a direct route, no fuss, no muss.  Others may encounter a detour along the way.  They may take a wrong turn here or there but as long as they keep moving forward in the right direction, they get to where they are going.  

Several years ago, we took a vacation up north to see our extended family.  We live outside of Raleigh NC.  My husband wanted to take a different, more scenic route.  I thought it was a great idea.  We get bored taking the same route over and over and it would be a nice way to see other parts of our state.  About an hour or two into the trip, I asked about a map.  My husband’s reply was (say it with me ladies) “I know where I’m going.”  While I was aware that he knew what our destination was, I wasn’t so sure about the route he was taking.  As I looked out my passenger window, I noticed the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance.  Now, I am geographically challenged but even I knew that those mountains should be to the west of our car.  “Shouldn’t those mountains be on the driver’s side of the car?” I asked my husband.  The car got curiously quiet.  We got to Elmira, NY in about twelve hours (it’s normally a 9 hour trip). 

I tell this story, one because it’s funny but two, because we got to our destination.  We took a little longer to get there but we learned some lessons along the way.  You can do the same when setting goals for yourself:   

Step 1—Take a look at where you currently are.  No judgments.  What have you achieved already?  Make a list.  Give yourself a pat on the back for your acheivements.  What have you set out to do but not accomplished?  Did you give up in the middle for a reason?  What was it?