Here Are 4 Stages You Will Encounter

UphillYou have just come off the only holiday that celebrates the passing of time.  No other holiday does this.  So it’s natural at this time of the year to stop, reflect, take stock, and accelerate.  But what will make 2014 better than 2013?

That’s a great question.  It might even leave you staring at the blank piece of paper, not quite knowing what to say.  Then it slowly begins to appear.  You have something that will drive you.  To tighten it up, you share it with your accountability friends.  It’s something you can measure so you will be able to tell, not only if you did it, but how well it was done.

You are now ready to encounter the 4 stages of your goal, your objective, your milestone – that target.

Stage one is the CALLIf it’s not a calling, it won’t drive or inspire you.  It’s your “why”.  A call motivates you to get out of bed.  It comes from within.  It’s your calling, your voice, which is the root word for vocation.  This applies whether you are a stay at home mom – as is my daughter – or the CEO of a large organization – as are several of my close friends.  This is an important beginning.  But as anyone who has followed through with a goal or objective, it’s just the beginning.

Stage two is the CLIMBAfter the call comes the climbThese are the steps you must take towards that calling – and they are always uphill!  You get out what you put in.  Getting fit means climbing Mt. Exercise.  Publishing that book means climbing Mt. Writing. Growing that new skill means climbing Mt. Learning.  No matter what it is, there is a hill involved.

So now you are on a roll, and that brings in the next stage.

Stage three is the CRAMP.  The temptation is to quit when cramps set in. Things begin to get uncomfortable.  Climbing gets difficult.  Doubts begin to rob you of your initial motivation.  You encounter storms. Anxiety eats away and movement gets tougher.  The feeling of impotence and incompetence visit you, as does their cousin, the imposture syndrome.  You might feel a little phony, “Have I just been faking it? Who am I kidding?”

I don’t know one successful person who has avoided the cramp zone.  The number of ways your life can be upended despite all your planning is almost comical.  The upheavals in career prospects, economic climate, and relationship dynamics can become overwhelming. Successful folks have learned to live outside of “overwhelmed.”  They know this is common, and they remind themselves of their call.

Success means to rekindle that inspiration – a word from the divine.  They resurrect their enthusiasm – a word with spiritual dimensions.  It comes from the combination of two Greek words — en theos – in God.  No enthusiasm, no finish line.  It’s more than positive thinking.  It is greater than pulling yourself up by the boot straps.  It trumps an optimistic outlook.  It’s all inclusive. It’s stronger than your circumstances or the economic realities.  Your goal might be connected to your business or your personal life or your health.  But it becomes a powerful spiritual call as well.  It’s more than a goal.  It’s your call.

Your enthusiasm reminds you that your call is bigger than your cramp.  The difference between those who succeed in their objective and those who don’t is that the successful people have not allowed their “but” to get bigger than their “why.” They deal with the cramp, not by avoiding it, but by living above it.  They remember the “why” of their call.  Not just the what, or the how, but also the why.  The why rekindles their initial excitement.

This turns their anxieties, doubts and fears into allies.  They use them to point out where the obstacles are.  They signal and point out what stands in the way.  They inform your navigation system.

Stage four is the CREST.  Your objective, dream, your inspired and enthusiastic calling become a reality.  Stop and reflect on how your genius lies in the accomplishment of your objectives even in the hampered moments of the climb and the cramp stages.  The challenge was exhilarating as you stand on the crest and remember what got you there.  Celebrate before you move on.

Now it’s your turn. 

How will 2014 be better than 2013?

What so energizes you now that you are tingling with the thought of starting?

What is in your surroundings that will warp you and leave you tethered –once again – to an accelerating treadmill, propelling you into this year resulting in no changes?

What do you need to start doing?  What do you need to stop doing?

Share your helpful thoughts to this topic.

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4 Responses
  1. Carl LaBarbera

    Mick,
    I’m feeling the “cramps”.Thanks for naming it and providing encouragement to remember “the call” and find the “enthusiasm”.
    Keep up the good work,
    Carl

  2. Mick Ukleja

    As a biker, you know about working through the cramps and going uphill! But there’s nothing like the crest:).

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