How Can I Be More Realistic – But I Want It All Now And More
There is nothing worse than having to wait for something you want now. For many people it can feel like it will never happen, the wait is excruciating and causes you to lose focus on everything else apart from that thing you desperately want so badly.
Being realistic is a matter of setting your instant gratification dial to off and by learning to accept that patience while being a virtue is also the key to getting what you want. Plan and set goals you are able to achieve. Keep motivated and try to keep your self-control to a maximum.
Before you can even begin to start making headway in your grand schemes you need to first assess whether or not your goal is actually possible. Becoming a doctor, yep, possible. Becoming an an A list movie star, well, you may need to make some adjustments to that goal, at least initially first.
Set expectations
When you first decide you want something you need to really think about the long term strategy and what it is you actually want. You say you want to be an A list move star but if you actually want to have more money and to have a bit of recognition here and there when you are out then maybe being a top YouTuber is a more realistic goal.
If you have the talent then it will shine through and may even be better for you in the long run. More work, maybe. More early on recognition and milestone success, definitely.
Setting your expectations accordingly can also help you remain dedicated to your cause. If you aim too high you may not hit it so keeping a little grounded can be beneficial, at least until you have made some good progress.
When doing your initial reality check, factor in what would happen if it didn’t work. Are there any alternative options? Any plan B’s lurking in the wind?
Plan
Planning your goals will allow you to break down your dream into a series of smaller, easily achievable steps. Doing this will not only help you work gradually towards your goal but the completion of every milestone will keep you determined, dedicated, and focused.
Having a solid plan will also help you to keep on track. losing your way or getting sidetracked can have disastrous results if you are not following a blueprint for your success.
When you hit each completed part of your plan it will allow you to feel accomplishment and success, even before your dream is fully realized.
Often, when setting unrealistic goals and not progressing, you can feel negative and deflated. You beat this with a good plan. As they say “failing to plan is the same as planning to fail”. Don’t be that guy, do your homework first.
Analyse
Check, check and check some more. By analyzing your plan, your progress and yourself you can make the best judgement on how well you are doing and if you are on the right track.
When you are first starting to do something new you may not know how good or bad it will be, so keep checking constantly to make sure you not only know if it’s working but that you can correct your plan at any time if you see it falling by the wayside or veering off course.
You may also need to reassess your expectations as well. If you originally planned to have something in 6 months but after 3 months you are not even close to halfway then you will need to site down, assess why you are off target and re-plan, re-focus and then set new checks to be carried out.
Be steadfast
Once everything has been set and you have started be strong and keep going.
You will have a series of steps in place and some regular analysis to be carried out to keep things on track. You may be looking at taking your first few steps from the start line but don’t lose sight of the finish.
Keep on keeping on. Keep strong keep plodding along. Trying to see the finish line from the starting post will often be counter productive as it looks so far away and will make you doubt yourself as to whether you can finish.
Focus on your first milestone. It’s much closer and you will pass that finish line much quicker than your last one. Be mindful of the small wins that will keep your enthusiasm batteries charged so you can reach the next goal.
Give it time
Patience is a virtue. Here is where you will really have to work hard and that is to not lose focus. Keep your goal in mind at all times and tell yourself that each day passed is a day closer to you getting what you want.
Suppressing your desire for instant gratification is crucial here when becoming a more realistic person. If you are used to getting most things quickly then this can be a struggle.
With the planning and plodding you can remind yourself the rewards are coming. Just as you slowly move towards your final goal you can set yourself a series of small rewards to “take the edge off” your desire to have it now.
Rewards and charts
When you need some extra will power a wall chart can often be a simple solution.
Get a whiteboard or large piece of paper for your wall and mark it with your goals and milestones. Cut it into small steps representing time, progress, or whatever it is you are using to track your momentum.
Write in rewards next to each milestone and when you are feeling down or weak you can refer to your chart and see just how close a nice treat will be for you. This small psychological tool can really help you adjust your expectations and an overwhelming need to have something right here, right now.
In conclusion:
It’s not easy to be realistic all the time, we like to dream, to imagine the “what if’s” but at the same time we need to be grounded. We need to keep our dreams and desires at a level that is doable, because if we don’t a life spent chasing shadows and rainbows will be a life of suffering and emptiness.
Being successful in our endeavors as men is just as important as getting what we want in life, sometimes more so.
So ask yourself, do you want to chase an impossible dream and risk lifelong misery or do you want to fulfill a more realistic goal and bask in the glow of your success?
