Now and then I put some thought into life: Where I've been physically and emotionally, where I am and where I might be headed. I'm one of those people who is always thinking about one thing or another so it's unsurprising I spend time contemplating my life and position.
I can't complain about my overall life although some of the events I could have gone without experiencing I suppose but, in truth, it's those experiences, and the good ones, that have helped bring me to this very moment in life with the attitudes, attributes and understanding that I posses. Without having gone through those things, and learned, changed, developed and found growth from them, I probably wouldn't have taken the actions I did in the past, and that would have changed my course.
We don't run on rails, us humans. Rather, we travel in a general direction influenced by events, actions, other people, understanding and the attitudes they bring. We drift off course, all of us do, however as long as we get back on course and aimed in the general direction we wish to go then we're doing ok I think.
I'm sometimes incredibly hard on myself; it's worked well to ensure peak performance although it's sometimes been of detriment as well. I drive myself relentlessly at times, physically and emotionally and it has led to me being dissatisfied with, and quite critical of, myself which isn't altogether productive. I learned to shift my paradigm though, to be less critical and more analytical; it didn't mean I lowered my standards or expectations though. It meant that I sought and valued continual improvement over ultimate success knowing ultimate success would come through continual improvement.
I am who and what I am, no more or less, just as you are. I'm not on rails, inflexible or fixed or fixated...I am focused though, and with some minor tweaks here and there my journey heads, more or less, in the direction I wish it to go.
Have you had thought about your own past, present and future and how it has caused you to shift your thinking, desired outcomes or actions? Feel free to tell me about it below in the comments.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind
Any images in this post are my own
Sometimes we have no control whatsoever over things that happen to us, but, it is up to us to redirect them into a positive situation.
Hi, Galen! I hope your day is going well.
You're a wise young lady indeed. Me likey.
Yep, I've had a cracker of a day - secured an account that will write my annual budget with 10.5 months if my reporting year still to go. Looks like the old G-dog knows what's up after all! 🙂😉
I hope you're well also. Keep being Swigly ok?
Terribly impressive! I would say you are doing your homework, for sure. I hope a big bonus is in your future. Looks like you have earned it.
Peachy keen, my friend. I just celebrated Independence Day, being a colonist and all.
Ha! I wouldn't have it any other way! :)
Why thank you Denise. I work hard and smart and know a thing or two which helps. I make salary and commissions which are paid quarterly on revenue. The budget is large but clearly achievable for the right people. I'll smash out a little post on it later I think. But, with my budget I'm working on the figure of 66% over budget. And yep, the commission-return on that will work nicely. We'll see how it goes but with pipeline stuff I think that 66% over should be achievable. I'll just have to Swigle-up and be awesome.
That's more than decent. Oh, yeah! That is post-worthy.
*You aren't an overachiever or anything, right? You may need to do more than Swigle up! :)
Of course, you're awesome!
I could never out-swigle the original-swigle, but one can try yes? 😀
I dare you. :)
I myself have gone off course many many times but I somehow manage to get back on course. The thing is the more you go off course the longer it takes to reach your destination. However, if you don't go off course you wouldn't know what the destination is. I guess it's part of the dilemma of life.
We all do and people who say they have not, are lying.
This happens, yes. It's even better when getting back on course happens by design.
Indeed, but many lessons can be learned when off course and that can mitigate the chance of it happening again in the future.
Hmm, yeah possibly, but certainly if we don't go off course lessons may not be learned, and maybe we won't come to the understanding of how good/productive it can be to be on course.
Good comment you left here, thank you.
It's a pleasure. Thank you too for sharing.
A lot of the things you write about at least have a definite ultimate success :D are there some things you do where it's a bit more abstract and harder to define?
I've had to learn to settle for "good enough" if I wanted to actually ever get anything done (nothing I do meets my standards and nothing ever will because the closer I get the faster they move).
You mean do I make mistakes and flounder about, feel clueless and out of my depth? If that's what you sort of mean then yeah, of course! I've actually written about these things here on Hive over the last five years, just in a way that's probably hard for people to pick up on if they're just skilling my text rather than taking the time to read properly. There's so many truths, so much of me in my posts here, but most will never see it.
Everyone chases things differently I guess and what works for one may not work for the other. Also, the things we chase are different for all of us, (can be different) and so it's a good thing humans are flexible and adaptable. I'm nowhere near as rigid and as structured as I come off in some of these posts I guess. In business and some other areas of my life (in the past now mainly) I've had to be that way but I'm not always. A look at my posts over the last five years should demonstrate that.
Whatever works is what we should be doing I guess, and thankfully we're all different. 😀
Nope not what i meant (though I have read and appreciate that you've written about some of your mistakes so the rest of us can learn from them XD). Like I guess there's some definite things you can call "ultimate success" like hitting a target dead in the centre, are there things that you do where you're not sure at which point you'd call it a success never mind an ultimate one?
Did that make it clearer or am I just making it worse XD
It'd be boring if we were all the same wouldn't it :)
Oh, sorry I misunderstood.
Yes there’s things/instances where it’s difficult to find an ultimate success-point for sure. I tend to seek continual improvement in most things (outside of work) and so I might do something that constitutes success, the attainment of improvement, and yet isn’t ultimate success. An example is my shooting for instance. I see success as improving rather than winning. Make sense.
Life is indeed a journey for me and I agree with the illustration you made with rails.
There are indeed no rails in the journey of life to put us on the right track but that doesn't mean we wouldn't move on the right track, direction, or get to our destination.
My journey story is quite long but I can say that every good and bad was meant to happen because every point I went through is connected to the next phase of my life, I didn't know this until the day I sat and looked back.
My journey is one of the reasons why I don't beat myself when things happen below expectations, I know that what happens is the result I need to connect me to the next stage of life.
Can't agree less means, you don't agree.
You probably mean, can't agree more.
Your journey is unique to you and, whilst some is dictated to you by circumstances outside your control, you have the ability to affect it, to shape it, by doing the right things. I get the impression you understand that and ate taking the steps to carry you closer to that which you desire.
You'll be rewarded commensurate to your efforts. Keep up the good work.
I have been making this mistake, thanks for correcting me.
I meant I agree, the illustration is perfect. Thanks for the compliment.
Lol, it's ok, I understand English isn't your first language. I wanted to correct you so you knew for the future.
Thanks a lot, this means a lot.
We are not on rails, I like that.
Great...metaphor?
I rarely look back on the past, it happens but not very often. I spend a lot of time contemplating the future though, planning and trying (failing) to predict what will happen. That's probably why I'm always so anxious ...🤔
😂
P.S. is super satisfying when you're able to find the exact meme or that comes to mind in a given situation.
Hmm, analogy, I think.
Looking back and stressing or worrying, lamenting or regretting that which happened is a fruitless, probably destructive, activity.
Looking back and determining, evaluating and understanding what happened and why then seeking improvements and strategizing for the present and future is constructive. It works for me anyway.
Analogy, ah yes. I always get them confused - metaphor, simile and analogy.
You make a good point. Very true. It's a behavior that can have a positive effect or a negative one depending in how it's used. As long as you're learning and/or growing its probably positive.
You and 27 gazillion other people. it's all good.
Being on rails just makes things a bit too predictable and boring. That is why I always keep it "flexible", while making sure there's at least some kind of a vision present.
As long as I'm meeting deadlines and checking off one list after the other, I'm good.
In business I've found extreme focus is the way forward and there's little room for much else. The same can be said for a lot of roles people take on, military for instance, flying passenger aircraft, drilling on off-shore oil rigs. Getting off the rails in jobs like that ends in disaster.
What I'm trying to say is it's situational.
In a person's personal life there's often a little more leeway to be less structured and that's something I do a great deal. There's a time and place for both.
It is situational, indeed.
Do you expect the same perfection from others that you expect from yourself?
I think I went off the rails a few years back and got stuck in a mud hole. LOL I still seem to be wallering around in it. It's starting to feel normal.
I don't ever expect perfection from me or anyone else; it's unattainable and limitint to seek it. Continuous improvement is a more satisfactory goal.
We all go off the rails and if it works then fair enough. In some things but can be advantageous and in some things not. It depends what's at stake.
LOL... I can't say it works, but sometimes it just is.
We all find our way off our choosen paths at some stage, it's what we do there, what we learn and how we apply that, which matters right?
I enjoyed reading this!
Thank you, I enjoyed thinking it and writing it. Keeps me focused.