Stop Setting Yourself Up to Fail - Mind Body Paddle

Stop Setting Yourself Up to Fail

Stop Setting Yourself Up to Fail

When is this someday that you keep talking about?

I hear it all the time. ‘Someday I’ll go on a trip with you.’

Or

“My goal is to one day have the skills to kayak that river and then I’ll be stoked.”

I hate to break it to you, but there’s no ‘someday’ on the calendar. ‘In the future’ doesn’t exist because we’re in the now. We can’t know or determine what the future will be. All we have control over is what we do right NOW.

It’s common for folks to set goals in this way:  Someday when I have this (money, time etc…), then I’ll do the things that I want, and then I’ll be happy.

The only thing this kind of goal setting accomplishes  is to set you up to fail. In fact, I would argue that what you’re really doing is reinforcing that what you want is nothing more than a pipe dream.

Worse, it keeps you going through life without ever experiencing the joy of your dreams and passions. Stuck in the mediocre, always thinking that someday will come, when really all you have is today.

To effectively reach a goal, you have to take action now, because now is your only reality.

Here’s how you do that:

Be

Who do you want to be or become? Whatever your goal is, ask yourself, what kind of person would I have to be to reach that goal. Someone who is:

  • Confident?
  • Courageous?
  • Fearless?
  • Peaceful?
  • Happy?
  • Joyful?
  • Aware?
  • Resilient?
  • Healthy?

Decide who you want to be.

Do

Next, ask yourself, what would a confident/courageous/peaceful/joyful etc.. person do right now. Not someday, but right now. If my goal is to be prosperous, then I ask myself how a prosperous person might be or act right now. From that question I may answer that they would focus on the abundance they have vs the lack of abundance. They wouldn’t be telling themselves that they can’t afford something, but rather asking themselves: “How could I afford that?” I could then take the action of asking myself that same question. Taking that action brings me closer to my goal and opens up a different way of thinking.

For those of you who love adventure and paddling, I’ll give you a different example. If I’m at the top of a rapid that scares me and I want to be courageous. I would recognize that a courageous person experiences fear and takes action anyway. Rather than focusing on what could go wrong, I focus on the actions I need to take to be successful.

Have

The result of the action I take is what I create in my life. Because I focus on uncovering the possibility of how I could afford something I have the result of a different mindset immediately. That doesn’t mean that in that moment money rains down from the sky, but it does mean that I’ve set myself on a different path. A path that is closer to my goal of being prosperous vs scarcity mentality.

Don’t discount the power of seemingly small results and actions. Small, consistent actions over time are very effective in achieving goals.

At the top of the rapid, focused on what I need to do next, and then taking action in spite of my fear helps me reach my goal of running a solid line. That’s a huge win over feeling overwhelmed with self-doubt. 

Now

The result you get from Be Do Have is now. If it doesn’t turn out how you wanted it to then you get to choose again, now. The big key is in understanding that there is no ‘someday’ or ‘in the future.’

Whatever you want to create in your life, create it NOW. One moment at a time.

If you want coaching on how to operate from Be Do Have, and incorporate this framework into your life to reach your goals and feel better in mind and body, email me and let’s talk about how I can help you with one-on-one or group coaching. It’s time to think how you’re doing to start 2022 off NOW!

From the blog

How I reset my roll

OK, stop. Do one of your demo quality rolls. My husband made his request while laughing AND in a tone that I also knew he meant business. I had been carping rolls all morning and it was freaking me out, but it was frustrating to Andrew because he knows that I know how to roll.

Read More »

How to Make a Healthy Transition to Fall Season

Fall boating season is officially here, and if you want to stay healthy in body and mind to shred your favorite rivers, read on. According to Ayurveda, fall season is Vata (Air/Space) season. The qualities of Vata include variable, rough, dry and cold. The variable weather combined with the raggedness that comes with the end

Read More »

Start your reset now

Do you need a reset, but you’re not sure where to start? Last week I got to do two of my favorite resets and you may be interested in them too. The first was a week-long technology reset on a backcountry Main Salmon River trip. I collaborate with Canyons River Company on this trip every

Read More »

Get in touch!

Do you have a question? Would you like to connect and have a conversation or learn more about an upcoming retreat? Fill out the form below.

;