What Prevents Us From Fulfilling Our Purposes?
What really are the purposes? Why are they done at the beginning of something? How long does the desire to achieve what we set out to do last? It seems that having the beginning of a stage before us is one of the best motivations to reflect on what we would like to change. So what do you propose for the year that we have just released?
Leaving aside the popular purposes of losing weight and quitting smoking that are repeated every year and are rarely fulfilled, there are other types of purposes, perhaps more personal and with a greater weight. Now, what can we do to make these last and come true? One of the keys lies in having them in view throughout the year and turning them into concrete actions. That is, next to the purpose, the way in which we are going to carry it out is clearly defined.
Turning desires into actions is what gives seriousness and consistency to our purposes, which turns them into seeds to obtain the fruit we want to achieve. In this sense, having them in sight means that we do not forget about it or that we do not delay them in our scale of priorities.
In a study carried out by the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, it was shown that 92% of the population failed to achieve their goals and some of the reasons were those described above: general plans and not concrete actions and not clearly visualizing what we want to achieve .
The engine of purpose: motivation
A secret to get what we want is in motivation, in that it is maintained against the erosion that the passage of time can cause. Do I really want to achieve what I set out to do? Do I have the tools to do it? Is it up to me to buy what I work for? Do I see myself with the possibility of achieving it?
A good part of the answer to such important questions lies in motivation. If I see myself capable, if what I am pursuing is what I want, if I can visualize myself having what I work for and if every day is set with small goals and I am seeing progress, even if they are minimal day by day, I will feel that reinforcement that compensates the wear and tear that supposes overcoming the different obstacles that are going to appear.
Internal motivation is the best energy to get closer to what I want. Making a list, in which I invest time and enthusiasm, to abandon it later, only causes frustration and damages self-esteem. Another essential element so that this list does not end in the drawer or as a decorative element on the wall is that it has an internal coherence, in addition to being realistic (adapted to my possibilities and the resources I have) and that it has a Background unifying objective, whatever happens is fulfilled. We talk about personal growth.
What can I propose to myself this new year?
I propose something new to you, put aside what you have been proposing and you do not get, because the reason for it is that it lacks strength, it lacks desire or it needs to make it concrete and tangible. It needs to make it real, perhaps because it is too general and we have forgotten that the purposes, to survive, need to touch reality.
I propose that you find every day something to smile about, and not just the general purpose of being happy. I propose that you do not consider losing weight, but leave the whims for the weekend and put three times a week to practice sports in your agenda.
Do something this year that you have never done before, it does not have to be big things, like parachute jumping, climbing high and steep mountains or visiting a country on each continent. It will be enough to sign up for activities that you do not know, try new foods, talk to different people, walk along new routes or watch movies that you would not have given a chance before.
The magic of purpose is that it invites us to be better, to continue building our best version and to challenge ourselves. In wanting to advance and expand what we know, the magic of purposes is that you build them. So, what resolutions do you have for the new year?
