Think As Inc

MAKING IT EASY, BUT NOT TAKING IT EASY

February 18, 2010 on 1:17 am | In life coaching | No Comments

An actor needs to enter his bedroom in a nonchalant way, see something that the audience cannot see, and completely lose his temper.  There are two different ways the actor can achieve this:  he can focus on the feelings of nonchalance and anger; or he can focus on visualizing something that would transform him from nonchalant to angry.  Different strategies, same result.  One of my former acting teachers recommended choosing the easier strategy for you.

 

So it is with goals, which often can be reached by various strategies.  If your goal is to improve your eating, this could mean breakfast daily, one more fruit and veggie than usual, or fewer sweets.  If your goal is to save more money, this could mean setting aside a set amount each month, cutting back on a specific item and saving that cost, or taking extra work to earn the additional savings.  If you want to focus on your career, you could read more industry material, expand your network, or learn a new skill.  Set yourself up for success by choosing the easiest way to reach your goal.  Once that change is made, you can introduce additional changes to make additional progress to that same goal, or you can redirect efforts to a different goal.  Either way, you’ll have one relatively painless win under your belt.

 

Disrupting your original routine is hard enough.  Choosing the most appealing change is an easier way to stay committed to your goal.  Making it easy for yourself, however, is not the same as taking it easy.  You are still working towards your goal.  You are just making it fun at the same time.  Don’t equate drudgery with commitment to your goal.  By choosing the right strategy, you can make it easy for yourself and still achieve your goal.