Push Your Best Foot Forward

This time of year people have goals on their mind so there is surely plenty of good information already out there to explore about goal setting. Goals are great but at the same time a person’s goals are only as useful as that person’s willingness to work on them. “A goal without a plan is just a wish” as the saying goes (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

So if we need to act on our goals for them to really matter then let’s consider one simple way that people often can get started, which is a “push”

• Push - v. to press or urge to some action or course

Most people don’t like to be pushed so if the thought of someone pushing you is unnerving or annoying then you are not alone. Still, can you think of some examples in your life when you were glad that someone gave you a little push? Consider some examples:

> A friend says – “Go ahead and talk to the manager and see if there are any openings for a job here” (and that little push gives you the courage to go and speak up instead of walking away like you wanted to at first)

> Going to the gym with a motivated friend instead of alone, because that friend “pushes” you to work out harder and stay at the gym longer

 > A sports team overachieves because members of the team “push” each other to play harder and not give up

> Feeling on the fence about staying clean one day but then talking to a friend who provides a “push” to stay on track and do the right thing which then helps you prevent a setback you would have regretted later

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So as you set some goals for the new year or for any time of the year, think about who in your life can push you a little bit, in a good way, of course.

Discuss as a group:

What is one area that you want to work on in your life and who can push you to do better in that area?

Are you willing to make a commitment to tell the person today that you just identified about your goal and see if he or she is willing to provide that positive push forward that you may need?

Once you get started, what do you need to do in order to push yourself not to give up?

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