Emerson Post #6- Goals

Our arts, our occupations, our marriages, our religion, we have not chosen, but society has chosen for us. We are parlour soldiers. We shun the rugged battle of fate, where strength is born. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Next to Resistance, rational thought is the artist or entrepreneurs worst enemy. Bad things happen when we employ rational thought, because rational thought comes from the ego. Instead, we want to work from the Self, that is, from instinct and intuition, from the unconscious.

A child has no trouble believing the unbelievable, nor does the genius or the madman. Its only you and I, with our big brains and our tiny hearts, who doubt and overthink and hesitate.” - Steven Pressfield, Do the Work

The idea of “being realistic” holds all of us back. From starting a business or quitting a job to dating someone who may not be our type or moving to a new place – getting “real” often means putting your dreams on hold.

Today, let’s take a step away from rational thought and dare to be bold. What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to accomplish but have been afraid to pursue? Write it down. Also write down the obstacles in your way of reaching your goal. Finally, write down a tangible plan to overcome each obstacle.

The only thing left is to, you know, actually go make it happen. What are you waiting for?

I've always wanted to learn to play the piano. The obstacle for me has been the time it takes to make it pleasantly enjoyable. It's a daunting time sink. I don't know if it's something worth beginning for me, because I'm not sure I'm willing to dedicate enough time to it to become great at it. It's always on the back of my mind, but I don't have the wherewithal to make it a reality.

A goal I am in the process of achieving is getting my speed back for rugby. I love lifting weights, and as I became stronger I began to look at competition outlets. Obviously there was competitive lifting. It's appealing in the sense that it directly relates to the activity, but for me team sports and competition are where I have always felt at home. Rugby was something I loved doing and stopped due to a leave of absence related to a sabbatical/internship in school and a renewed focus on school upon my return.

I always wanted to go back and never did so I took the plunge last week. It's destroyed me so far, but it's been exciting to see a measurable change in myself. I'm getting my speed back and in a few months I should be highly competitive at my position. We'll see what time holds for the future, but after the first week things seem promising.