why are you doing what you're doing?

Why are you doing what you're doing?

When striving for the goals you set, you start with the excitement and inspiration of the vision, and you take off running! By and by, you move through challenges, feel a sense of accomplishment and pride as you notice you can do this. And then, the blocks come in.

You begin to struggle. You struggle with the struggle. Things take longer, you're not sure it's working out the way you thought it would, you take a break and come back to it. Some things shake out okay, others are still not working. You feel like you're doing all the right things, with a measure of patience and self-compassion even. Yet, you begin to question and can't help feeling the doubt over the value of these goals. You feel like a failure and you wonder if you were cut out for this. Maybe you were meant to do something else.

Here's what happened: you set goals, some worked and some didn't, your expectations were not met and it took a toll on you, perhaps there were others involved and you felt like you failed them as well as yourself, the heaviness of these feelings weighed you down so it's all you can focus on, your goals begin to die an incomplete, slow death.

Pause. Breathe.

Just as in life, if you feel like you’re dying, you focus immediately on your breath. Being aware of this natural instinct as exactly the next right step, let go of all else and calm the urge to gasp desperately. Slow it down and focus solely on this life-giving breath. Simply taking in and appreciating each breath is always the first step. Once you feel the calm and sustaining energy of your breath, you can slowly begin to connect with your present moment, your surroundings, your situation.

Ask yourself: "Why are you doing what you're doing?"

Go back to your heart.
Oftentimes we begin our ventures with high aspirations with a youthful (beginner’s) exuberance. As we “mature” into the journey, other factors enter the path and we lose connection with our original intent. We want to check back with the spark that lit this creative fire. Notice then:

• What are the things you are doing that still serve that purpose?
• What things don’t?
• Where did you veer off the path of original intent?​

Let’s look at the path.
​Goals are like the pavers of your path. Your purpose is the groundwork underneath, the foundation which began from your spark (or seed). Your vision that created the design of your path was aligned with your purpose. How you maneuver from purpose to vision is your execution-- it is your life experience, your "work".

Image by TheAndrasBarta from Pixabay

When the pavers buckle or crack, it indicates some part of your design or execution needs attention. It's not a failure but a success in signaling to the designer and executor where to look for the problem. “You’ve veered off course!” Sometimes it's a matter you could not have predicted or known easily. Sometimes it's just something you overlooked or in the execution itself and the do-er (you) have now learned something important.

Quell the outer voices taunting you or demanding you to take shortcuts. At the same time, quell any inner perfectionist that impedes forward progress. It’s a balance.

The only true fail is when you decide to ignore or take the shortcuts and cover-up the signal.

Set your expectations to see your chance to grow when things aren't working. If the matter is weighing you down and you feel stuck, go back to the starting driver: Why are you doing what you're doing? 

Reconfigure from there, shedding all the unnecessary and unintended tangents taken, and recommit to your intended purpose and path. Expect more learning, anticipate them with the attitude of an empowered leader.
​
Your path with all its twists and turns will be the most beautiful path you could never have imagined.

Connect this with your Practice.
In the practice of kundalini yoga, we essentially rehearse for such real-life scenarios. We walk this path of goals+dreams, visualizing+activating our power, connecting in with our purpose, moving through challenges, balancing our act, gratefully including pauses and rests, receiving support from the Universe, aligning our consciousness and energy with divine purpose, and breathing intentionally so that we can face the unexpected and define this beautifully-twisted path that is our lives. 

Show up. Elevate your expectations. Check-in with your spark. Repeat. Thrive.

​With grit+grace,
Anna SachKiret

P.S. Tell me, why are you doing what you're doing? Where have you veered off course and caught yourself? What beautiful twists did you discover?