Moving the goal-posts

Well it’s been about six weeks since my last entry on this blog and my life has not gone in quite the direction I expected. The things I thought would be important to me have faded a bit and other things have come to the fore, which means I’ve had to reassess my priorities and, yes, move my goal-posts.

I wrote last time that my challenges to myself between then and Christmas were to brush up my Greek and to learn to juggle with three balls. I was very serious about Greek at the time and I did actually get out my old files, have a look through them and take it all forward. Then I went to Sicily with my family and was distracted by Italian… and then by other things, such as deciding to move to South Shields, a beautiful town on the north-east coast.

The juggling has progressed, because it fits with how I’m feeling right now. The Greek became hard work because it isn’t resonating with me in the place where I currently am, so I’ve put it back on hold. And that’s OK.

If you’re being paid to do a particular job, obviously you have to do it, whether you feel like it or not on any given day. If you find you rarely or never feel like doing it, then it’s time to see about changing your job. But if it’s a question of a hobby or peripheral activity, I say go with the flow and do what you feel like in the moment.

To maximise both achievement and happiness – and to minimise procrastination – focus your energy on what you find interesting, inspiring and involving. Goal-posts are there to help you. Once they become a hindrance, feel free to move them.