Hard Work and Sacrifice – Do You Know What These Are?

I’ve been doing a lot of reading and re-reading lately.  My focus has been on some of the traditionally great thinkers in the area of law of attraction, success, positive thinking — you know, Napolean Hill, James Allen, Bob Proctor and the like.  This latest interest arises from a desire to tweak and hone my own success, to up the ante, to really step into the level of difference I’m making in the world around me, particularly through the work that I do on a day-to-day basis.

One of the ideas that seems to recurr in the writings of these great minds is that of “hard work” and “sacrifice” — the basic premise being that these are necessary to true success and financial gain.  It’s funny how I bristle anytime I read variations on this theme.  Which got me to wondering:  what the heck don’t I like about this idea?  Well, in the first place, my fundamental belief is that life is not meant to be hard, but rather lived and navigated with a sense of ease.  So the idea of hard work seems to fly in the face of this, don’t you think?  Or does it?

As I thought about this last night it occurred to me that maybe the idea of hard work isn’t diametrically opposed to the concept of living with ease.  In fact, I think this may be the cause of so many people’s frustration.  I think, when these writers talk about hard work and sacrifice, their meaning isn’t that life should be a slog.  Instead, it’s that life should be approached with persistence and commitment — and indeed these two concepts are also written about by all of these individuals.  You see, I was getting so irked by the idea of “working hard” — interpreted as “work your fingers to the bone and hate every minute of it” — that I neglected to put that concept in the greater context of the work.  Each of these writers also talks about the absolute necessity to LOVE the work you do.  And what I know for sure is this:  when you LOVE what you do, hard work isn’t hard at all.  You’re still committed, you’re still persistent, you’re making sacrifices –  and it all feels like fun.

Bottom-line:  be sure the guage of your “hard work and sacrifice” isn’t how tired and down-trodden you feel, but rather how energized and inspired you feel.  Because it’s about how much you love your work and what you’re willing to do to make your vision a reality.  That’s what it’s really about.

Getting Clear on Options

That’s what I’m doing right now.  It’s funny.  Because I feel like I’m up to some pretty big things in my life.  I’ve set some big goals, and my focus feels rather “laser-like” — it’s like I’m honing in on a specific picture, and the more I hone in, the clearer and more detail-rich it becomes.

As I was driving to serveral appointments this morning I came to realize something.  You see, I’m all about “possibility” – standing in possibility, embracing possibility.  You get the idea. What I’ve realized is that one of the challenges which I’ve inadvertently set up in my life, up until now, has been that even as I entertain possibility, part of me tends to allow “failure” to be one of the options within the realm of possibility.  Makes sense, doesn’t it?  I mean, when you’re going after something, failure is definitely a possibility.  Or is it?

Here’s the epiphany I had this morning:  I can choose to allow failure as a possible option OR I can banish it from the kingdom so-to-speak.  I’ve got a big, hairy, audacious goal right now.  10 000 subscribers by July 9th, 2009, for my podcast series.  By anyone’s standards, that’s going after something in a big way!  What I decided this morning is that there is only room for success as far as this objective is concerned.  And I will do what I need to do to make it happen.  Given that success is the only option that I’m willing to entertain — and success in this case looks like 10 000 subscribers — it’s now up to me to keep working my plan, keep spreading the word, keep asking for help, keep focusing on success, leaving zero room for anything else, so that I achieve my objective.

Bottom-line:  for me, right here, right now, success is the only viable option.

Taking Time Out

One of the things that is so engrained in our heads is to “keep your eye on the prize and keep moving towards it.”  Overall, I take no exception to this philosophy; indeed keeping your sights on what you’re aiming towards can keep you moving forward when nothing else can.  That being said, there is something to be said for taking a time out every so often.  Why?  Because the goal that you’re heading towards can shift and morph as time goes on.  Let me explain.

At the time that you set a goal, it may seem crystally clear to you.  You may very well have a solid sense of what you’re heading toward, what it looks like, what it will feel like when achieved and how your life will be different.  So you dive into the water, so to speak, and start swimming for the coveted goal.  If you don’t periodically come up for air, however, you may inadvertently go off course, or your goal itself may shift a few feet one way or the other unbeknownst to you.  And because you’re still swimming for what you believe is the goal, you’ll end up losing it altogether.  So, time outs — or “goal check-ins” — are actually a pivotal piece of the goal-achievement game.  It’s the only way to be sure that what you’re heading towards still exists, still looks the way you want it to, and still fits with your life’s plan.

Sometimes, these time outs can be taken voluntarily.  Indeed, this is probably the most desireable way to check in.  At other times, however, it’s as though life itself wants you to take a break and re-evaluate.  An unforseen obstacle arises, a glitch in the plan takes place — hwatever it may be, while it seems irritating in the moment, it’s actually a golden opportunity for you to take a “time out” and check in on the goal itself.  Then you can recalibrate and adjust your path as needed, and set off again.

Bottom-line:  the act of taking a time out, especially when you’re heading toward a goal of any sort is a vital part of the process.  When you yourself haven’t checked in in a while, the universe may well throw a curve ball your way, just to get you to do so.  Either way, taking the time to reevaluate will serve you well, and make the achievement of your goal, whatever it may be, that much sweeter.  So stop , time out, and then move onward and upward.

Time to Tweak Time (????)

So, was reminded today that it’s been a while since I posted a blog entry.  Thanks for the gentle nudge, Kimberly!

Yes, things have had me a little scattered lately.  Indeed, I’ve had a few wake-up calls to the fact that I’m definitely being pulled in several directions, and that my focus is hardly 100% here-and-now.  No worries — and it’s a good lesson in awareness for me.

One of the things we do in our household, before we each depart for whatever it is that the day holds for us, is set a goal/intention.  How do we want our day to be?  What do want to accomplish?  It can be big, little, in-between — but we all do it, even the kidlets.  It’s a great way to “point ourselves” so-to-speak.  And today, my intention is to “tweak time”, or more specifically how I interact with it, how I use it (or don’t), and how I dance with what shows up vs. what’s already on my “to-do” list.

I’m aware that part of what’s going on for me is a sense of wanting to do a LOT of things.  My podcast is just about ready to go live (March 18th is the scheduled launch); my co-author and I have just committed to launch in the writing of the 2nd book in our series (gulp! and yeah! all at once); my children have dance competitions and hockey tournaments; I’m aiming to run a marathon next year, which means starting to train now; every day I wake up with a new business project idea; and then there’s just the everyday workings of a professional woman in today’s society.  In other words, I’m juggling all the same stuff my clients juggle (which is good — it allows me to walk my talk).

And so, it’s time for me to revisit my “ideal week” — check out how I’m actually spending my time, and tweak what isn’t working.  Remembering that nothing is written in stone, it’s time for me to re-carve my schedule, play with new ways of playing, and have some fun.  In other words, it’s time to lighten up — unburden myself of some of the load and have some fun.  Join me on the ride?  It should be a fun one!