The Turning Points of Life

       A few years ago I made the decision to finally join a gym and get involved in a physical fitness program. Like so many others I wanted to lose weight and improve my overall health. I approached my new endeavor with great enthusiasm as I imagined the new physique I would soon have as a result of my training program. So I purchased my outfits, an mp3 player with earphones, wrist-mounted heart rate monitor, and even a pair of stylish athletic sweat bans. “Now I’m ready to make it happen!” Or so I thought. But I soon made a startling discover.  My new found enthusiasm soon dissipated and made way to frustration as I experienced just how inconvenient, personally discomforting, and time consuming this type of undertaking can be. So I began contemplating excuses to justify putting this whole thing off until that unspecified time in the future we call “later.” Translation: I wanted to quit. But while in the gym one day I expressed my self-doubt to my trainer and he simply told me I had to learn to “push pass it” to reach my goal. And in doing so not only did I change my mind about quitting the gym I also gained insight about something I call “the turning point.” This is when you look at the price of your goal in comparison to what you are willing to pay to obtain it and then conclude if the reward is really worth the cost. All of us have goals in life we desire to accomplish and dreams we want to see fulfilled. Whether it’s a better life for our families, moving up the corporate ladder, getting an education, becoming more organized, or being a better steward with our finances. But too often we are repeat offenders who, after a great beginning, end up caught in that familiar cycle of “not finishing what we start” as we once again renege on our commitment toward yet another unfinished project. How many of us have bought some new home exercise equipment only to park it in the back of the garage? How many started a new diet only to fall off the wagon once again? How many started another business venture to once again kick it to the curb?

The problem is we habitually get so excited about the reward we fail to properly evaluate the price, and when the going gets rough (as working toward any life’s goal often does), the reality of the cost hits us like a runaway train. That reality can be so overwhelming that we lose the joy and zeal we initially had and we then struggle to maintain commitment, determination, and focus.  The price has become more than we are willing to pay and we contemplate giving up. But there are no worthwhile goals in life that will come at bargain basement or yard sale prices; its going to cost you something. I discovered that to press pass it − “it” being the price of reaching my goals − I must have a clear understanding concerning the value of my goals. Because the reward of reaching a goal is based on the perceived value of that goal.  It isn’t the price tag on an item nor even its brand name that determines its value; it’s what the item means to the individual personally that determines its value. The things you are pursuing in life, how valuable are they to you? Don’t just look at how much they cost you but look at how much they are worth to you. What exactly are the long-term benefits of achieving your goals?  When you see clearly the value of your goals then you will see a great reward so tremendous that it far exceeds the price you must pay to obtain it. And when you experience inconvenience, personal discomfort, and time consumption as you work toward your goal you will make the necessary adjustments, go through your turning point and shift to a higher gear as you accelerate on the highway of success. You then begin to see challenges as investments in your future and the things that once discouraged you now add fuel to your fire.