What 2011 Taught Me About Change

This blog post has been slowly percolating in the background for quite some time. Perhaps that is evident by the fact that I haven’t posted a post since October. To be completely honest, I think I have needed that last three/four months to take a step back and ask myself the hard, demanding, ever present and very real questions about my life, photography, my future and all that that entails. Heavy stuff, I know.

Don’t believe for a second that I didn’t have severe guilt about not writing. I even had family from California asking if I’d fallen off the face of the earth.  I had many self “you should”, “you need to”, “What’s wrong with you” etc. fill moments which, as the proof shows, brought me no closer to setting my fingers on the key board and writing something. Anything. Sometimes I even felt my emails, facebook comments, notes sent through regular post all fell just slightly short. The question always remained – fell slightly short of what exactly? The answer to myself was always “You know…… something”.

That little “something” had an incredible debilitating effect. Nothing got done! Nothing that inspired me, encouraged me, pushed me or made me smile. That’s not a little something, that’s a HUGE something. A huge, ugly and nasty something.

Over the Christmas break, I rose early one morning and had a chance to work through some of my something’s. And here’s what I discovered about goals and change. I like to set goals and see them through to completion. I like to set my sights high and soar past them. I also discovered that I get discouraged and frustrated and ultimately quit if that doesn’t happen.

I quit. (Wow that looks ugly when written)

But it’s true. Excuses, other stuff and everything in between seem to get in the way and I quit. But here’s what I realized. Just because you set out to do something and it doesn’t work, doesn’t mean that the goal is finished. It just means you need to change directions and find something that does (because trust me, writing “I quit” hurts).

Far too often I get into the mind set that if something doesn’t happen within the parameter by which I set for myself, then it’s a complete failure. But it dawned on me that it’s not a failure but rather a goal looking for a change. If getting in shape and healthy is your goal, and running isn’t your thing, find something that is. Try yoga, cycling, walking, swimming. I would hedge my bets that most, if not all goals have multiple ways of being achieved, it’s a matter of finding one that works.

I know it sounds basic, almost blindingly obvious, but those are often the pieces that we miss.  I have set out to change a few things this year. Goals that I am setting out to achieve and in some cases conquer.

There will be lots of changes along the way. That’s ok – I have 2011 to thank for teaching me that lesson.

Happy 2012.  

Comments

[Jaelene]

Wow! I like your thinking and happy to see the shift. Sometimes the goal just gets shifted and your determination is what get's it done. Remember the hare and the turtle. Even small steps will get you to the goal. Time is a limit we sometimes put on ourselves. I look forward to more of your insights.