When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps. – Confucius

When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.

Confucius

When one is pursuing a goal that is befitting their caliber, they are bound to run into obstacles along the way. These hardships do not mean that their goals are unreasonable or that they set the bar a bit too high. What this rather implies is the need for a change in approach.

An ambitious person is bound to dream big in life. More importantly, they often have both the willpower and courage to pursue those dreams. However, most of them conveniently bail out the moment the going begins to get tough. This is pretty unfortunate, considering all it needed was a tweak in the strategy.

Picture this: one day, you decide to hop in and set off for the beach you have been meaning to visit for quite a while. The journey is all smooth and pleasant in the beginning, but the road soon starts to get unexpectedly bumpy. It isn’t long before you realize that you are on the wrong path. What would be the desirable approach to this situation – turn back and head back home, giving up on your plan to sunbathe at the seaside, or halt your vehicle for a couple of minutes and work out a different route to get there?

Sometimes, it is totally okay to slow down and re-evaluate your plans to see if they are working or not. In fact, even if everything is going fine, it does no harm to see if there is a better, more efficient way to do things. Adversities are no excuse for you to give up on your ambitions; they are more like pointers that help us course-correct and fulfill our dreams.

Confucius was an ancient Chinese philosopher. Held in high regard for his witty quotes, Confucius once remarked: “When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”