A few weeks ago I was chatting to my parents on Skype about getting through my current job and while looking forward to exciting things that felt so far away. One thing I love about my parents is that they have two totally different ways of approaching life and, despite this, they always seem so in sync. It’s crazy and I don’t know how that happens and if you don’t believe me, read on, because you will get what I mean pretty quickly!

If nothing else, they provide a refreshing perspective and their differing views always result in some sort of revelation (even if they don’t think so). We all have different ways of approaching change, some of us have lofty aspirations, while others remain more grounded.

Here are the two ways you can use your natural instincts to move forward (or adopt a little bit of both) and an example of how sometimes opposites attract to help you see a bigger picture.

 

Keep looking forward, focusing on the horizon

My mum chimed in first, saying that there is no point just wishing the weeks away but to keep looking forward and focusing on the horizon. She is a positive beacon of light, reminding me to embrace what I’m learning on the job and the consistent income, but keep the exciting changes on the horizon in mind as an excellent motivator to keep going. Don’t look back, don’t get caught up in the flashing lights of the future, but stay positive and present and use this time to prepare for the rest of the year.

If you’re going through something similar, wishing time away or letting your present situation get you down isn’t exactly inspiring. Sometimes it can be damn frustrating. And feeling like that can often lead to never being satisfied with the ‘right now’, always wishing or waiting for another time in the future.

There’s a lot to do with the time before a big life/career change or getting started on a new project and we could all do with that reminder sometimes.

– If there isn’t time to do lots of big things each day, what are some little stepping stones you can work on? It might be as simple as allocating one small task to each day to feel like you’re making progress.

– What can be done to enjoy the present instead of wishing the time away? It might be meeting a friend for breakfast before work, trying new things, or writing down what you’re grateful for each day.

– How can the present be used to better prepare you or what can you start doing now to help you later? Can you start a savings plan with your current income, get some systems in place, or learn something from a colleague?

– Plot out what you hope the next 6-12 months will be like and work towards making it come true.

 

Look down at your feet to take your mind off the big hill in front…plus you might find money on the ground!

My dad’s view is usually the complete opposite and simultaneously wise and hilarious. He chose to disagree and justified this through a recent encounter at work. He said that a colleague asked him one day why he always looks at his feet when they walk up a big hill to their office. He said that looking down tricks his brain into thinking that he is walking on a flat surface instead of up a big-ass hill, plus there is always the chance that you might find money on the ground, something that happened to him as a kid and stuck with him.

With that in mind, there’s some pretty good stuff to take away from that too.

– Having blinkers on means you focus on exactly where your feet are taking you. You’re still moving forward but without focusing on the difficulties or the distraction of wondering what else is going on around you.

– Diverting your attention to each step instead of the mountains of work/challenges/months ahead of you means you’re taking one step at a time instead of spending energy worrying about the big-ass hill.

– Keeping your focus on the steps you are taking can lead to opportunities to make money that you may not have seen otherwise.

 

See what I mean about the differing opinions leading to similar results?

No matter what you are trying to achieve, keeping your focus on the steps you take and enjoying the journey along the way will help, instead of getting distracted or caught up in the challenges coming your way or what everyone else is doing.

Just keep moving forward. One step at a time.

 

What’s some great advice you’ve been given lately, or some conflicting advice that kind of works together perfectly?

Leave a comment below and let’s get excited about the different approaches we can take when we’re working towards something.

 

[ninja-popup id=717]