In the pursuit of our goals, many times we may stray from our path, by walking the road we think we must be on to achieve them. This may sound as a contradiction, but it is not. For example, you might have worked hard in trying to achieve your dreams, and suddenly realize, that the path you are on – the same path that is supposed to make those dreams possible – is taking you farther from them. How is that possible? Well, it is.
It has to do with approach. When you have a goal, there are many ways to work towards achieving it – many approaches, many paths. It happens that sometimes, one of those paths is not quite leading to what feels as “this is it” or “I am getting there.” You may even feel that you are getting sidetracked and going nowhere. In that case, you have to step back and take a look at the picture in front of you. It can be compared to looking at a painting – if you are too close to it, it becomes blurry; once you take a step back, you start seeing the picture once more. Our dreams are not so different from that example.
Learning when to step back is where it may be a bit tricky. When you are actively pursuing your dream, and you start feeling disconnected to it or just going trough the motions, that is a sign. It is telling you that you have to step back and reassess your path. A question that I ask myself is – “If I continue in this path, what will be the possible result?” This usually gives me a clue that lets me know that it is time to change the approach, without abandoning my goal. I may have to eliminate some things, keep others, or do something different. Sometimes, it is a matter of evaluating where you are and thinking of what set you on that path. Many times, the answer waits at the start.
Sometimes, it is hard to comprehend that just because an approach is not working as expected, it does not mean that you have to throw your entire plan away. In that case, it is necessary to step back to move forward.
Inkspeare 