As a Life Coach, I’m dedicated to helping you achieve your goals. As such, you’d probably expect a lot of “eyes on the prize” from me. So it might seem contradictory when I say that flexibility is key to achieving your goals. One more time…
“Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.” ~Bruce Lee
Flexibility is Key to Achieving Your Goals
Believe me when I say, you’ll be glad I made this mistake so you don’t have to. I was the most myopic go-getter that ever got burned out. I am intimately acquainted with the dangers of single-mindedness.
- Inflexibility prevents us from seizing opportunities for ease and joy
- Rigidity severely limits our capacity to live rich, full lives
- Single-minded focus can cause imbalances and failures in other areas of life
You’ve likely done this on a micro-level if you’ve ever really buckled down to meet a deadline. For hours you stared at your screen, neck straight, stiff, and unmoving. Without any ease, you ended up with a painful stiff neck and your after-work plans were ruined. Even your joy of accomplishment was diminished.
Nap Goals
In my first few years of high-hustle goal-setting, I did not factor in nap goals. If you’re anything like I was back then, you’re thinking, Nap goals? That’s crazy? How can you be productive and still take naps?
If you sincerely believe this, as I did, I challenge you to examine your strongly held beliefs about productivity (and napping). Consider the opposite question. How can you be productive and not take naps? If this still sounds ludicrous, I can rephrase. How can you be productive without proper rest? There it is.
Plan for Rest and Relaxation
Of course, we all need proper rest. I knew this when I was setting intense goals for myself. And yet, I didn’t allow for the inevitable cumulative exhaustion of Mom / Athlete / Professional. As a result, my performance at everything suffered. My goals got further and further away and seemed harder to achieve. Additionally, I missed opportunities to go to parties and connect meaningfully with friends. In short, I missed a lot of the things that make life worth living.
Now I know better. We need to consider our goals in light of our commitments and priorities in all areas of our lives: Relationships, Family, Community, Physical Wellness, Psychological Well-Being, Spiritual Health, and Livelihood. With this information, we can plan more effectively by:
- Planning for downtime by putting it on the schedule
- Chunking time commitments and building in cushions
- Accepting that sometimes an unscheduled nap is necessary
Reexamine and Adjust
If you check in with yourself regularly on your goal-driven journey, you can notice if you’re struggling then reexamine and adjust. Ask yourself:
- Are there places where you can bend a little to get a lot more joy?
- Are you falling behind in other areas of your life?
- Would a nap help?
Give yourself permission to deviate and adapt your schedule to your life. Even just a little bit of flexibility here and there can prevent burnout. And sometimes the extra rest, ease, and joy offers serendipitous opportunities to leapfrog on your path!
It’s a process to know yourself and see what makes your WHOLE life hum in balance. But it’s possible to be value-driven, goal-directed, flexible, rested, and wholeheartedly accountable to yourself. Examine, adjust, and enjoy the journey to your big goals, little goals, and even your nap goals if that’s what makes the wheels on your wagon whirl.
