Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach

Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach. – Tony Robbins and here

"What dumb bunny put our lunch waaaaay up there?" - "This time, instead of jumping again, why don't you try climbing up on my back?"

What does that mean?
To me, it means that once you have made a decision, you’ve cut yourself off from other possibilities. You are also committed to the desired outcome. However, things happen, and your chosen path, your approach, might not go as smoothly as you’d like.

The quote urges you to not give up or change your decision, but to remain steadfast in the achievement of the desired outcome. It suggests that you change your approach instead. Try a different way. Observe what does or doesn’t work, use your intelligence and courage to refine your approach, and keep after it until you achieve your goal.

Why is flexibility important?  
Can you think of a time (excluding trivial efforts), where something went completely as planned? I admit that it is possible, but do things usually work out that way? Or do you end up trying PlanB, then PlanC, sometimes all the way to the end of the alphabet before accomplishing the task? That’s what I call flexibility.

Where would you be if you didn’t have flexibility? How many shattered dreams would you be surrounded by if you gave up the first time something went wrong? How would you have ever learned to crawl, much less walk, run or become potty trained? Flexibility is a key component to learning and achieving, right?

Where can I apply this in my life?
To me, the key to getting things done is paying attention. Flexibility without direction is just a tree blowing around in the wind. I believe you need to notice what has gone wrong and what has gone right, and then make adjustments. Bend in the way you need to bend and you will make progress. Bend randomly and you’ll make a mess.

Grab some paper and write down a couple stalled projects or plans. The best candidate would likely be something that is important to you, and you have started, but which you have stopped prior to completion. If you have more than one that fits, try each one on, to see what really means something to you, and go with that one.

For you stalled project, write down at least three reasons why you really must finish the project. Try to make them as personally meaningful as you can, as this will be part of your motivation to complete it when things go spectacularly wrong. And face it, you wouldn’t be here if things hadn’t gone wrong, right?

Write down the reason(s) why the project is presently stalled. What are you waiting for, what do you need, or of what are you unsure? Make the list as comprehensive as you can, because these are the things that are weighing you down, holding you back, anchoring you to the spot. You will have to eliminate them before you can move forward.

Now, think back to what you were doing when you stopped working on the project and write down the things that stopped you. Are those things different than the story that has grown around the event? If you’re like me, the answer is yes. The last thing you did, that is usually where the technical details are. The story that you tell about the project is usually more about the emotions. You will need to deal with both of these.

Look at your list of reasons and excuses for not having completed the project. For each one, find at least one solution or reason that will allow things to move forward. For things that are particularly difficult, troubling or confusing, you might want a PlanB and an expert to help.

If you have a comment on your list like “I don’t have enough time,” you don’t have a reason, you have an excuse. Fix the excuse. You have time, you just haven’t MADE enough time to do this project. Look at your reasons why you have to complete this, and find something presently taking up time in your life, and make some room. There is always enough time for the important things. You just need to decide what is important.

It may have taken a little time, but you should have the following: a project, a list of reasons why you must finish the project, a list of emotional and technical reasons why it stalled, and ways to move forward that negate each reason/excuse why you stalled. Sounds like you’re almost ready to go.

The final step is to put together a plan, or revise the plan you were using before you stalled. Remembering that it’s just a dream until you take action, pick a task from the list and do it. Even something as small as calling or e-mailing a friend to schedule some work time, to  ask a question or to just discuss the project. Get busy!

From: Twitter, @motivatquotes
confirmed at : http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/tonyrobbin176913.html
Photo by law_keven