photo credit: woodleywonderworks

It’s a sunny afternoon and I’m outside sawing wood to help my parents and other then enjoying the moment all I can think of is analogies to living life and achieving goals.

So here is how sawing wood can help you get the most out of life.

Know what you want and plan to achieve it

When approaching a new tree branch you need to know roughly how long you want to cut it, then you have to pick an exact spot to cut at.

Knowing where to cut is not good enough though, you have to be able to maneuver the branch into a stable position in order for you to saw effectively.

So pick something you want it life, something that excites you. Then narrow it down to what you really want, pick where you will cut into life.

But before you can effectively chase after your goals you have to set up a solid foundation. Learn how to handle your thoughts and emotions, look at your beliefs and know what effects your decisions.

Sometimes you get stuck, just adjust your angle

I’m only an amateur when it comes to sawing so I can’t cut perfectly straight. As such I sometimes get stuck half way through the branch. An effective method seems to be to cut in again from a slightly different angle to the same spot to give you more room to get to the end.

We don’t know the perfect path to take to reach a goal, so we just have to launch into it. Inevitably we will hit obstacles and get stuck. Rather than head-butting the wall continuously sometimes we just need to take a step back and re-think our approach.

Is this the only way to reach my goal? What constraints am I unconsciously imposing on myself? Whose assistance can I call upon who has been through this before?

Take massive persistent action

There is only one way to get through a piece of wood and that is by cutting it. In the beginning it is a big task, but all it requires is for you to stick with it and persist.

Our big goals in life require you to work on them each day. Sometimes its seems like you are so far away from the goal that you are not sure if you have even made a dint yet, but at times like these you just have to persist.

Over time the branch will splinter and break and nothing will be able to hold you back.