When Others Don’t Understand
If you want to get that advanced degree or a promotion at work, there are certain things you need to do. Whether your motivation comes out of success or from the final destination you will reach, it’s a personal choice to motivate yourself. But just because you understand the reasoning behind your goals does not necessarily mean that others understand it. When others don’t understand your drive and your motivation to do certain things, you need to be ready to solider on regardless.
It’s Not a Challenge
What many people encounter when they first admit they want to reach a certain goal is doubt. Even if they are certain that this is what they want to do, it’s difficult to not feel doubtful when others are questioning each move you make. For example, imagine you want to go back to school for a degree, long after you first were in college.
A lot of people, even your friends, might wonder what your motivation for that degree is – after all, it’s been so long. However, you need to know that your reasons are the ones you should listen to. You need to realize that making the decision for yourself does not mean you need to listen to anyone else. In truth, they’re not challenging the realism of your goals, but rather how they would feel about being in your shoes.
Should You Argue the Point?
The question that often springs to mind when you are beginning to motivate your life toward success is whether you should argue your position with others. After all, since they’re obviously not looking at your situation in the same way, isn’t it a good idea to fortify your progress by standing up for yourself? For some people, this might be the case, but for others who are simply trying to reach a certain achievement and are just starting out, they may not have solid reasons or even a plan in place.
By arguing with others who see all the holes in their reasoning, the person’s dreams might seem further out of reach than ever. And they may never get started. If you feel that arguing your point is going to strengthen your resolve, then go ahead and do so. But if the thought of arguing your points is exhausting, why not just listen and smile when people try to argue with you? They’ll give up eventually.
Others may never understand why you’re doing what you’re doing. They might not ‘get’ why you can’t go out to the bar with them or why you can’t spend money like you once did. The new things you do are a change not only to your life, but also to theirs. And since you probably seem to be doing better than you have in the past, your friends and family may begin to question their own life’s direction. That’s where the true discomfort comes from. However, that doesn’t mean that you need to give up your goals just to make sure everyone is comfortable. In the end, it’s your life and your happiness at stake.
Sean Rasmussen is an active member of the social networking community. His MySpace profile is here: http://www.myspace.com/sean_rasmussen
