Pushing Yourself Forward
By Alex Fayle

Last week the Lab-Rats explored their fears and pushing beyond them. This week, it’s about pushing beyond our self-imposed limits. As I described in my post Pushing My Limits, in 2006 I did National Novel Writing Month for the first time and although I ended up not reaching my 50,000 word goal, I did write 40,000 in a single month, which was more than I’d ever written in my entire life.

That being said, here are the questions for this week:

1. Do you need to push yourself to do things, or if you’re passionate about something, do you just go off running and get it done?
2. If you do have to push yourself, what are some of the techniques you use to stretch the boundaries of your usual efforts?
3. If you do set a goal and you don’t quite reach it, how do you react? Are you proud of yourself for trying? Are you upset that you didn’t reach the goal? Or do you experience a completely unexpected reaction?

N.B. Sal is still off working hard. Hopefully we’ll see him back next week.

It’s So Easy

Not one of the Lab-Rats has a problem starting something if they feel passionate about the task, but Brett acknowledged that once the enthusiasm has worn off, his laisez-faire attitude makes it difficult to keep going sometimes. Crista made a distinction between activities she’s chosen to do and those she’s been driven to do by something external. With the former the world disappears for her while she works on it, while the latter can feel like it’s dragging on forever. The Urbane Lion, however, just gets it done then if possible creates a system to make the task easier the next time he has to do it.

Getting It Done

Brett (like me) has a million systems for keeping him going. If he’s like me, then it’s because any one system becomes boring and easy to ignore pretty quickly. By shifting around the reminder, carrot, and kick-in-the-butt systems the project feels fresh even if the project itself has been going on for quite a while.

When Crista feels like she has to push herself, she uses that feeling as a signal that she needs to re-examine her need to pursue this task, and the Urbane Lion gets a high off of a job well done (but admits that money at the end of the task also works). Being more like Brett than Crista, if I re-examined every task that I stalled on, I’d never get anything done (I like to start things but find finishing them boring). Of course Crista just re-examines the big goals and not the day to day stuff, but even with that I’d not get much done (yes, I look for any opportunity to drop things after having started them). I am, however, learning about that high that comes from accomplishing a monumental task (like finishing my first novel) and I do like the idea of experiencing that feeling again.

Not Quite There

All three Lab-Rats agree that if small things don’t get done, then it’s no big worry. Brett uses a failed goal to change direction and figure out what he really wants. And if Crista and the Urbane Lion feel that an uncompleted goal about which they weren’t passionate means they didn’t really want it in the first place. Crista has a tendency to beat herself up for not achieving a goal that she she feels affects others (e.g., if she weren’t to get her Lab-Rat homework in on time. The Urbane Lion cures his disappointment by looking for lessons in the failure to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Someday Lessons:

• It’s always easier to start something than to finish it.
• Failure to achieve a goal is more an opportunity to learn something about yourself than a time for self-punishment.

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Get rid of your Somedays and make the big change you’ve always dreamt about. Check out:

• The Someday-Busting Coaching Services
• The Dream Discovering Ebook by Alex Fayle

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