How to Keep Going (when you can’t see the end)

Posted By on Sep 9, 2014 | 2 comments


chair-790_640Last week I wrote about yoga’s Utkatasana, “chair pose,” as a metaphor for how we persevere in our lives. Do you find yourself giving up when there is an unknown time limit to your goal?

For a refresher of last week’s article: When We Step into the Unknown

 

 

Most big goals don’t come with a handy map. How many times have you told yourself something was going to be easy and instead it turned into an epic odyssey?

 

Goals can take longer than we’ve planned. So how do you keep going when you can’t see the end? Here’s a few suggestions.

 

1) We must give a voice to our fears. Write them down and say them out loud. Once we voice them they are not as scary as we think.

For example: I wrote that “chair pose” scared me because I was afraid the pain would never end. This was an old fear connected to my eating disorder. In the past I feared that my ED would never end, that I wouldn’t be free, that I would be trapped, and in pain. This is not true today because I am free!

Once I realized that it was a past fear, it was easier to peacefully set it aside as something that’s no longer valid and no longer serves me.

 

2) Acknowledge your excuses and resistance. Notice the time stamps.

Write down all the excuses that come to mind that cause you to break or give up easily.

For example: I found myself using a past knee injury as an excuse to fall out of “chair pose.” Sure, my past knee injury happened, but it was years ago. Our minds throw us old pictures without time stamps, making us think that everything is happening in the present. Notice the time stamps on the pictures. I guarantee that most of them are time stamped in the past, which means they are long gone. We are the only ones responsible for continually resurrecting old photos and keeping them alive. Let them die. The past does not equal the future.

 

3) Be willing.

For example: A friend of mine repeats the mantra, “I am willing to let this go. I am ready to let this go.”

I am willing to let go of the fear of being uncomfortable, both in “chair pose,” and in my life.

 

4) Create a positive challenge.

My example: In the next yoga class, I challenged myself to break chair pose into ten-second increments. My mind can hold on for ten seconds. As we bent into each chair pose I counted to ten and then began a new set of ten. I didn’t allow myself to fall out of the pose until after I’d finished a set of ten. In this way each set of ten was an accomplishment.

Is there something you can break into smaller steps so each small step can be an exciting accomplishment?

 

Which of these resonates with you? Apply it to your goal today.

What works best for you when dealing with your metaphorical Utkatasana? Share it in the comments below.

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With Love,

Z :)

2 Comments

  1. Avatar

    I do something similar. I break the task up into increments, with intermediate milestones and celebrations. More importantly, I make sure I know what I want, the end-state. I then picture what this end-state looks and feels like. In those moments that I want to give up, I picture my ideal end-state to get to the next intermediate milestone. Once I reach the end-state, I celebrate and enjoy…then it is off to the next one.

    Post a Reply
    • Z

      Thanks for sharing Jesse. I’m so glad you mentioned knowing the end state before you begin, and then visualizing and working towards that success. The pictures we place in our mind are vital to our success. :) Z

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