You are (here) •

When you step into a mall you've never been to before, it helps to look at the directory or map, specifically if there's somewhere in particular you're wanting to go. Now of course, if you have no set destination, you can wander around aimlessly wasting time. Sometimes that's fun, and you never know what you'll run into, but more often than not you'll end up tired, discombobulated, and more than likely having spent too much money on things you really didn't need anyway.

This situation can also be applied in our lives. Not only does it help to know where we're going, through setting goals and mapping out how we plan to reach them, but we must know, first and foremost, where we are when we're starting out. I think this key point gets lost in translation a lot when people set a course. Often we just see where we want to be, and aim for that place. Sure you can get there this way, but if you know your starting point beforehand, it makes it easier to figure out the shortest distance from A to B.

Stick with me here...this concept kind of goes back to my "Life is now" post. We have to sync up the route towards our goals with where we truly are right now, not where we wish we were. Acknowledging who we are right now gives us the best chance for success in reaching our goals. While we should always be striving to be better people- being honest with ourselves about who we are at this moment in time helps us start out from a place of respect for our situation and, most importantly, ourselves. Traveling from this solid place helps us reach our goals more easily and quicker, with less struggling through rough terrain because we're less likely to be plagued by self-doubt, fears, or pressures to try to live up to where we'd have preferred to start out.

Most importantly is to remember that none of us are perfect, and that's not only 'OK' but it's the human condition...it's normal. When you aim for perfection, you'll discover it's a moving target. We'll always wander a bit, get distracted, and even stumble while trying to reach our goals, but when we do, we square our shoulders, line up our sights, and soldier on.