I Am Nowhere

There are 2 ways of reading the title: "I am no where" and "I am now here." This week I have felt the no where until I looked at the progress of my goals and clearly saw that I am now here. Goals serve as two purposes, first one defining  clarity as to what one wants and wants to achieve in life and also as stepping stones when one has set larger goals. Basically goals are tools to achieve something that someone wants, not what someone wants for a person. Time definers on a goal are merely a guide, not an absolute.

Numbers in a goal serve to develop the persistence with consistency and consistency with persistence in order to form a habit. The new formed habit that is now practiced goes on to form a lifestyle change. Achieving a number really does not mean anything more than achieving a number unless a new habit has been formed. (A point to note is that bucket lists are a different topic.)  A case in point being the 1000 pushup challenge (New Year's) and after the golden 1000 has been achieved, what happens after that? Most people fall back into their familiar old habits.

In mastering a technique, it is said that if 1000 repetitions are performed, the technique is mastered. Not if the performance was rote and only to rack up the numbers. However if the technique is performed consciously and mindfully  learning along the way, could mastery be achieved sooner than the 1000?

If a person does not achieve a goal, does that mean failure? Only in the respect that the "magic" number was not achieved. As long as skills were developed, habits formed, learning occurs, and the pattern is consistent, then the effort is successful regardless of the number achieved because progress has been made. One can achieve the magic number, but the next day/week/month fall into old patterns, would that not constitute a failure? And more importantly what is done after the awareness has been made further defines success or failure. To me, achieving a number at expense of the body (incur or aggravate injury) does not define success.

If goals are drawn out with incremental steps to achieve along the way, then why aren't all goals achieved? It's called programming within the subconscious mind and it's the subconscious mind that runs 95% of our daily actions including actions that self-sabotage. Change the subconscious programming, change the results. Now a question: where is the subconscious mind located? Give a hint: it has very little to do with the brain.

I remember over previous years of a statement saying to "have your Kung Fu serve you and not the other way around." As I look at where I am and where I'm going in all areas of my life I can say that my Kung Fu is serving me. My daily training, as much or as little as it is, is serving me because I am moving forward, developing my technique, my habits, and my patience not to mention healing my shoulder in a way that's right for me. I am now here.
Sherri Donohue
My Blog