White Knuckling to our Goals

The other day, I drove sixty miles to do a job. It was a very straightforward job and I enjoyed doing it. It ended at a little past nine that evening and it was then time for me to drive home.

At the time, we were in the middle of a spring snowstorm. I have a good car with good tires, but the visibility was poor and cars driving on the freeway were splashing copious amounts of slush up and onto my windshield. There was enough slush on the road to make it difficult to see the lanes. It quickly became a white-knuckle drive.

The road and visibility remained consistent for about 40 miles. After that, the falling snow became more rain and the road became clearer so the drive became more pleasant as well as allowing me to drive faster. Home was a welcome sight.

I realized that this drive was a lot like reaching goals. I guess that in a way, I had set a goal of reaching home safely. In life, and in business, we set goals and create action plans to reach those goals. There are times, however, when life throws slush in the road, hiding those markers that will guide us safely to our intended goal. What do we do when that happens?

I could have chosen the safe route by pulling over and waiting for the storm to end. Unfortunately, the storm was forecast to continue throughout the night. It would have been a long night. Instead, I chose to drive carefully, looking for whatever guide markers I could find. When life throws things in the way of reaching my goals, I continue on by looking for markers that I have set in front of me and slow down a little. Sometimes, life has a way of telling us when it’s time to slow down, look around and possibly re-evaluate the direction that we’re going, or the way that we’re going. Perhaps it’s time to take a slightly different path. Whatever the reason, it’s up to us to stick with reaching the goal if it’s something that we really believe in and something that we truly want to reach.

So, the next time you’re feeling frustrated and ready to give up on that goal, slow down and take a look around. It might be that the storm will be over by the following day, and the roads will clear, giving you a straight shot at your goal, possibly faster than you ever imagined. Think of it as a snow day and let the rest energize you, propelling you on to greater heights! 

Drew