“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”—Confucius
How often do we give up on a goal for lack of progress? (Hopefully, never.) I might adjust the above Confucius quote (that is, translation of the quote) to read: “When it is obvious the goals are not being reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” I have long appreciated a quote shared by the pastor of a church I attended on Long Island, Dale Schurter, many years ago. He taught us that his father, an Oklahoma farmer, used to say: “’Can’t’ never done nuthin’.” (For those who would prefer grammatical correctness, that is: “’Can’t’ never did anything.”) So, if a goal is not being reached, adjust the strategy or adjust the timeline. Don’t give up on the goal. Now, obviously, our goal should be reasonable—albeit unreasonable by others’ standards. Our goals should not be easy. Goals should stretch our limits. They require effective planning, and, when our strategies aren’t working, we need to “adjust our action steps”.
Have a goal? Keep at it. Adjust the action steps rather than the goal.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!