Pruning your goals

Have you ever been so focused on a goal that you are no longer clear in your vision?

Yes, I'm a coach, but goals are not the only way to achieve. I believe in visions, intuition (that inner knowing we all have but need help tapping into) and the excitement of our purpose. When I am so fired up about something I rarely need to set many goals, I just need space to create and make it happen.

Recently I was reminded of how we can get lost in a goal as my wisteria crept slowly up and around and was threatening to overtake my whole house. It's strong branches starting to pull apart my porch railing. I had a vision three years ago of my rather plain house covered in wisteria and other garden eye candy. So my goal was willing this tiny wisteria to grow and twist and tangle up. And so it did. I stood on my porch one day with my neighbor throwing my hands up as I showed her the tendrils threatening to keep us from entering our front door.

She says simply, "Prune it."

Prune it, prune, cut it. Cut the plant that was bringing me such twisted joy, that I had envisioned making me fall in love with sitting on my porch feeling surrounded by beauty. Cut the branches that were my ticket to picturesque cottage???? Yeah, cut it.

So I did. Once I got myself untangled from my goal I realized my vision was clear again. Tame the wisteria meant I was participating in where I wished to be. I said a little gratitude for it, and chopped some more.

We have to stop and see how much we have accomplished. Once we are there, often we are already changing course, moving in another direction. That is good. That is the movement of life. I'm just asking you to honor what has happened. You have so much to be proud of.

Say a quick gratitude. Then you can prune.