Written by: Brigitte Münch, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
If we want to grow and achieve new and better results, we have to set ourselves real goals, big goals which are ours, which we identify with, which we want to achieve so much that we make an effort, that we also accept setbacks and set out again and again on the path. Here is why big goals are so powerful.
May 29th, 1953. After two failed attempts, Sir Edmund Hillary, a beekeeper from New Zealand, and the Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the highest mountain on our planet.
Attempts to climb the "Roof of the World" also called the "Forehead of Heaven" (Nepali) or the "Mother of the Universe" (Tibetan) have been documented since the 1920s. In particular the British mountaineering legend, George Leigh Mallory, tenaciously pursued the goal to reach the peak. Whether Mallory ever made it to the summit is unclear. He and his companion Andrew Irvine disappeared in a cloud not far below the summit during an ascent attempt in 1924. Mallory's remains were found at about 8150 m.a.s.l. in 1999.
All of these great pioneers have been guided by the same strength: Perseverance. Will. Focus.
At the beginning of our paths is the definition of our goal: What do we really, really want? This is the first challenge. So often we drift through our lives between (supposed) expectations, opinions, tasks, circumstances, conformity, and our desire for belonging that we prefer to have goals set for us rather than naming them ourselves. We degenerate into goal receivers and make ourselves comfortable in this passive role. From time to time, we may hear this quiet voice inside, asking what we really want and what we think is worth striving for in our lives and we masterly ignore it. Or we explain immediately to ourselves why this cannot be realized right now. We ruminate on what others might think if we did it. But the decision for a goal, for our own next summit, lies only with us. Not with our boss, our partner, our parents, children, friends, society, the state, or anyone else. We alone are responsible for our goals and any "yes, but" or "maybe later" is just an excuse.
A real goal does not even need an explanation. When asked why he wants to climb Mount Everest, Mallory reportedly said, "Because it's there." Beyond that, he did not need any reason why he wanted to get up there. He was convinced that he could reach the summit, otherwise, he would not have set out on that hard path and tried again and again, despite setbacks. The same is true for Sir Edmund Hillary, who evidently reached the summit 29 years later. Both possessed the perseverance and unconditional will to stick it out, to achieve their goal, which had previously seemed impossible. For which reason they wanted to do it was unimportant; all that mattered was that they wanted to. And the intensity of their willpower, persistence, and decision-making responsibility released resources they probably didn't even know they possessed before.
I know many people who diligently tinker in the plane of their lives. Interestingly, they do it even though it doesn't really satisfy them. It doesn't open up new perspectives or lead to growth. However, nature - not only human nature is designed for growth, it is part of our basic needs. Nevertheless, we are afraid of a new start, of the unknown path and its uncertainties, and not least of the destination itself. We find numerous explanations why it is better for us to stay in the plain. It is our horizontal comfort zone in which we feel safe and fail to realize that safety is an illusion. Over time, we get out of the habit of looking for the next possible peak or even setting foot on an upward path.
But it is precisely this new perspective that activates our innate spirit of discovery. It makes us step out of our familiar surroundings and thus our habits, and set our sights on new, seemingly impossible goals, even if we don't know (yet) how to reach them. It directs our focus on our next peak, revealing to us different options and new paths. It makes us grow, maybe even beyond ourselves.
There are countless biographies and success stories of people who have realized what was previously thought impossible. What they all have in common is this persistent pursuit of their goal and the will not to give up. Perseverance is a unique mental strength. It is an expression of the responsibility we take for our decision to reach the summit. It is indispensable for accepting challenges along the way and overcoming them. It keeps us going when the inevitable obstacles and difficulties appear. If perseverance and persistence are our companions, we look for new routes, get up again and become creative, and nothing and no one can stop us.
Perseverance is neither innate nor hereditary. No one can develop perseverance for us except ourselves. Perseverance means that we remain tough, steadfast, and persistent, even when things get difficult. It requires that we really want something, that the goal we pursue is actually ours and not someone else's. That we identify with it. That positive feelings arise when we imagine that we have achieved it. That we don't let anyone talk us out of it or talk us down. That nothing, really nothing can stop us on the way to get there. If it is our real and truly our goal, we want to reach it and we go towards it persistently and consistently and the path towards it reveals itself as we walk.
Perseverance and persistence unfold their power when our goal is clear. If we want to grow and achieve new and better results, we have to set ourselves real goals, big goals which are ours, which we identify with, which we want to achieve so much that we make an effort, that we also accept setbacks and set out again and again on the path. This does not mean running blindly, not carrying necessary equipment, ignoring obstacles and dangers, or not being afraid. It means setting out for our goal despite existing risks and despite our fear, because our will to reach it is stronger. No matter why. And no matter what others may think.
To find your next goal, the following steps may help you:
1. Find stillness. You will not hear your inner voice in a noisy environment and in a fluttering mind.
2. Close your eyes. External distractions prevent you from directing your view inward.
3. Connect with yourself. Try to really feel yourself. Your true needs and desires (and not those of anyone else in the outer world) should have a chance to come up to the surface.
4. Give yourself the time you need. You may have quieted your inner wants for such a long time that they may need some time to reawaken.
5. Listen to your body. Your physical reactions will tell you if you are about to re-detect a goal that is really yours. Both the symptoms of excitement, but also those of fear are wonderful tools to guide you on the way to your goals.
6. Write down your experiences. Journaling helps you understand and remember where your desires and needs are, so you are able to set them together in your personal goal puzzle.
We all have the potential to stand on the summit of our personal Mount Everest. Set your next big goal, keep your focus and get off to a flying start! And in case you would love to get some support on your path to clarity, just reach out to me, I am more than happy to help you.
Brigitte Münch, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Brigitte Münch dedicates her work as consultant, coach, trainer, speaker and mentor to developing (leadership) personalities and guiding individuals, teams and organizations to (re-)discover their goals and values, talents and potentials and to define and follow their vision of inspiration, fulfilment, growth and greater success. During her career, she has worked as tech lawyer, legal consultant, team lead, negotiator, motivator, advisor, project lead, hamster wheel runner, trainer and mentor in various European countries and across many cultures, functions and communication styles. To focus on her true passion for people, their careers, life paths, backgrounds, motivation, thinking, communication and behaviour also in her professional life, she founded her own coaching and consulting company. She is convinced that there is an immense potential, power and genius in each and every individual, team and organization, which is waiting to be detected and unleashed - and that new challenges require new ways of thinking. "Start leading yourself and discover the immense power and potential inside of you, your employees and your company.”
