A Coaching Power Tool created by Joana Reis
(Life Purpose Coach, PORTUGAL)
When we are going through our path to achieve our goals we can feel like we are enjoying the process or we can experience struggle.
Most of us are educated in a sense that we have to struggle so we can deserve to achieve our goals – if we don’t struggle enough, things will not be accomplished. As so, we stand in a place of fighting against the obstacles that come into us. We have to invest a very large amount of energy so we can achieve our purpose. The more we feel like we are not enjoying the process, the more we need to spend energy and sometimes, even, fight to maintain our health. Most of the times, we really need to work hard and be truly committed so we can achieve our goals but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be enjoyable.
Struggle comes from our ego. When we are in struggle we are focused in what we don’t have. A feeling of “wanting” emerges and it is essentially related to fear of not succeed. Because of this we can develop feelings as anxiety, anger or stress. Struggle happens when we are focused in the future, seeking to achieve our goal. In the other hand, when we are feeling joy, we are focused in the present, in the task that we are doing right now. It is not that we shouldn’t have goals. It is very important to have and to be aware of our goals, without them we wouldn’t perform any task at all. It is that we can have much more joy in achieving a goal if we set our mind into every little step that we take until we get there. Joy is related with feelings of aliveness, lightness,
gratitude and inner peace.
Self Application
From The Goal To The Task
Whenever you set a goal and you are passionate about it, your energy in life changes, you can go from boredom to feeling alive and joyful. But even better is when you become passionate about the path that leads into this goal – every step that you have to take until getting there. If you only focus yourself in the goal and not in the path, your self-esteem and self confidence can decrease, since presently, you don’t match with the image (goal) that you have in your head. So, you may start focusing in what you don’t have and you may feel like you have to struggle.
Instead, if you are focused in everyday task and in how you are growing and celebrating each step, you can really enjoy all the way and even get into your goal with much more energy. In this way, it is like you are playing and learning with your obstacles and not making war with them.
If you have already experienced to do a pilgrimage, you will know that you have to enjoy the path and do it with love and care, otherwise, if you feel everyday like a torture where you have to walk for several miles, it would be much heavier and you will start feeling overwhelmed. Actually, every step counts and it’s really a matter of choice, regarding where your focus is. You become more responsible for what you are feeling than you can ever imagine. When you do a pilgrimage you understand that what really is enjoyable is the path, getting there is only getting there and if you don’t enjoy the path, it is rather difficult that the goal will compensate the effort.
Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination. Roy Goodman
