Page 126 - Hard Goals

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What ended up hooking Quinn was all she started to learn
about herself once she made the commitment to really dig in
and clean up the chaos. “I never really thought before about
why I am addicted to clutter—both tangible and mental,” said
Quinn. “It’s just one more way for me to avoid being truly pres-
ent. My mess has made me miss out on a lot of good stuff in
life, like really important moments with my kids. I’m always
scrambling last minute to fi nd this, do that, fi x this. It takes a
lot of energy. It’s negatively impacted not just my life, but also
my family. We’re all a lot happier these days.”
Quinn learned something else about herself too, something
that will help her be a better goal setter in the future. “I think
the most outstanding thing that came of getting organized was
that I did it. I really didn’t think I could, but I did. It wasn’t
easy, but I pushed through and was successful. I feel so much
more confi dent now about other stuff I want to tackle—even
bigger goals. I learned that I don’t have to allow my brain to
switch over to ‘that’s impossible’ mode anymore when I get an
idea. Instead, I think, ‘Wow, I could actually do that.’ It’s really
empowering.”

How Does the Cost Demonstrate My
Commitment to a Larger Goal?
It’s important to remember that goals aren’t usually an all-or-
nothing phenomenon. You can achieve small parts of a bigger
goal (like forgoing the cake tonight is a small part of a larger
weight-loss goal). But how we view our accomplishments on
those small parts can impact our commitment to the larger goal.
Some recent research suggests that when people view their
accomplishment on the small part as a distinct event that’s sepa-
rate from the bigger goal, it actually undercuts their motivation