Goals are important. But what happens when something unexpected comes in the way of you and your goal? You have to make adjustments.
For example, for the past eight weeks I’ve been diligently training to run the Rock N Roll Half Marathon in Dallas. I’ve done speed work, fast tempo paces and long runs (8-10 miles) on the weekend. But two weeks ago during a speaking engagement in New Orleans I started feeling crummy. Then real crummy. When I got back home I went straight from the airport to the doctor. It turns out I had Type B flu (yes, even though I had my flu shot!). Needless to say, I didn’t do any running for awhile.
I actually lost two weeks of training time. When training for a race, that’s an eternity. So I had to make an adjustment. I could either run the Rock N Roll Half at a much slower pace or I could run another race a few weeks later with a modified training plan. But either way, I had to make an adjustment.
It’s the same way when thinking huge. There are going to be times you will have to make adjustments: both personally and professionally.
From a personal standpoint, you may get sick or a family member may become ill. You may lose your job. You kids might hit an academic wall at school. Some unexpected home repair might cost a ton of money. When those things happen it’s tempting to stop your goal (saving money, getting out of debt, going on a vacation, etc.). Instead of stopping your goal, you just need to adjust it. Maybe change when or where you go on that vacation. Perhaps give yourself extra time to hit that dollar amount you had in mind. But adjust, don’t stop.
From a professional standpoint, you might run into a project deadline that is all consuming. You might encounter a boss from Hell. You may have a conflict with a co-worker that affects your day-to-day output. When those things happen, it’s equally tempting to stop trying so hard at work (exceeding your sales goals, serving customers with a smile, achieving that promotion, etc.). Once again, instead of stopping your goal, you just need to adjust it. Maybe you visit with your boss about their expectations. Perhaps you work to improve that strained co-worker relationship. Maybe you focus on serving customers in a unique way. But adjust, don’t stop.
Thinking huge means thinking perseverance. And a huge part of perseverance is making adjustments.
Think Huge!
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