Want to reach your goals or BETTER? I am suggesting consideration of goal setting with an open, flexible twist. This allows you to access what life offers you unexpectedly.

Being able to shift and adapt easily can change your life. When you fight changing your well laid out plans you feel frustrated and disgruntled. You may even be flat-out angry. When you are able to be flexible and go with what life presents you may find that you feel happier and so much more at peace. Plus possibly discover something even better than you originally wanted.

I am a bit of a planner and I love to have goals. In fact I encourage my clients to have goals or to set intentions as what they want from life. Having a desired intention can help get you where you want to go. And better yet if you add a “flexible twist” to it.

It is somewhat of a two-sided coin as I promote having goals and  being flexible, open and adaptable. So here is the key idea:

Set your intention or your goal with the idea that you very much desire your goal OR “something that is BETTER”.

This opens up wonderful possibilities that you may have never dreamed of. So take the limits off of your goal or intention. You may find that being open to other ideas and thoughts about something that you desire may lead you to discover something that is exceedingly better than what you originally thought of.  A few examples:

• You are wanting to get in better shape, but you know it will be hard taking time away from your partner. Your initial goal: “I will go to the gym two days a week to keep in shape OR something BETTER.”  You may find the gym works once a week realistically, but two times not so much. So a shift to one gym trip a week and adding nightly walks with your partner keeps you in shape and gives you time with your loved one.
• You feel you are rushed every morning and it starts your day feeling anxious. Your initial goal: “I will get up every morning at 6:30 or something BETTER.”  You may find after you experiment with your new get up time that 6:30 helps but it still feels there is no time for you, but that 6:15 gives you that extra bit of time not to feel so rushed and time for a quick meditation. You love this new mini meditation at the beginning of the day.
• You really want to lose some weight and feel just eating less will do the trick. Your initial goal: “I will lose 10 lbs by December by eating less food or something BETTER.” You may find that eating less food is helping but the weight is not coming off the way you planned,  but when you add exercising it gives you more energy and quicker weight loss. Yahoo!”
• You are not happy with your job. You feel you have more potential. Your initial goal: “I will find a new place of employment by the end of the year.” You may find that as you explore possibilities that a new position opens that is a perfect fit for you with room to use more of your talents at your current place of employment.”

 I have to say sometimes our plans going awry may not feel like it is better way. But you know the old saying “Take your lemons and make lemonade.” Take what feels like is a not good situation and use it as a jumping board into another place that is more workable and possibly better.

I am also not suggesting that we give up on our goals when things get tough. And just go with whatever comes along, but to be open to what else may be there that is even better. This is more about thinking thoughtfully and opening ourselves and not becoming stuck in feeling our goals must develop in a very specific way.

Best wishes in developing the fine art to being flexible and open to all the wonderful possibilities the universe has to offer us!