Thank you, thank you and thank you for this post! I am struggling to develop the capacity to forgive myself. It isn’t just a karma thing; when I get all bound up feeling bad about not accomplishing some goal, I stop working. You know, just so that I can devote even more energy to reprimanding myself because THAT will help me reach my goals the next go-around rather than actually writing. It all cycles into a paralyzing fear of failure because, after all, who wants to feel that bad?
I forgive myself. I forgive myself. I forgive myself. I would write it a hundred times on a chalkboard, but that would be punishing myself.
The great thing about goals is that they can grow with you (and evolve). A great goal set now might not be worth pursuing in 3, 6, or 12 months' time because better opportunities might come along in the meantime. In the end as long as you're moving forward, you have progress to be proud of.
Oh, man, what a timely posting. It's so easy to lose what's been accomplished in the looming shadow of the yet-to-do list. But if we don't take every step (and misstep) as a valid, essentially good part of the whole, then we miss most of life while waiting for the "great stuff."
Wonderful blog – I've been reading through it for about a half hour! I found you through a comment on another blog.
In any case, you're right – life keeps happening (I'm a bit behind on my goals, too) but we have to look at the things we have accomplished to take the sting out of the things we haven't yet gotten to.