Day Five: Stay the Course or Change the Course

How many times have you started something only to drift away, leaving it only partially finished? I'm ashamed to admit I've done this numerous times. A couple years ago I wanted to take up knitting. It was winter in Chicago and I felt if I was going to be cooped up inside I might as well have something to show for it other than an encyclopedic knowledge of Law & Order. So my husband, as thoughtful as he is, surprised me with a knitting book, some yarn and needles to start with. I got as far as reading the book. Then I drifted. Then spring came and I was on to something else. I have many unfinished scrapbooks, half-written journals, boxes of photos yearning to be placed in chronologic order, expired gift certificates and good intentions tucked away in the closet in our guest room. Am I alone in this?

The only way to achieve your goals is persistence in the undertaking of the challenge. This might be a weekly or even daily renewal of your commitment to accomplish whatever it is you set out to do. I've heard that it takes 30 days for something to become a habit. This means that you need to make a concerted effort to check in with yourself and evaluate your course everyday for a month. Then progress will become your habit.

I don't know if I will ever sit down and knit. Frankly, it's hard for me to sit and watch a movie. Sitting is just not my thing. It's ok to change your course, change your goals. But you have to intentionally do so. Drifting is not the same as consciously evaluating whether a goal still makes sense for you. Give your goals 30 days to weave their way into the fabric of who you are and see if they still feel right. You'll know.