Be Realistic!

Be Realistic

We live in a world where being realistic is a thing of the past and conjures thoughts of mediocrity and cause for alarm in the minds of unrealistic people. It is no wonder we experience so much failure and disappointment in this 21st century.  With Christmas just around the corner, many will be holding unrealistic expectations of gifts to be given and received.

Words are taken out of their true context and meaning can
spell disaster for the unsophisticated thinkers. They create misconceptions and can lead people down a dangerous path. Needless to say, there is nothing wrong with being realistic. To be realistic is to hold a true portrayal of facts, evidence and past experiences as a measurement of what you can and cannot do; the things that need to be changed and what needs to be put in place to overcome difficulties and make drastic improvements.

Without taking a realistic point of view, we miss the mark and in essence, choose to take a narrow-minded approach to life.  Unrealisticness (new word) causes people to negate their blind spot; living life through rose-coloured glasses and holding a tunnel vision.  If successful people were to be quite honest with themselves and delve deeper into the ghost of their past, they would realize what they fail to recognize now—that they did, in fact, take a realistic approach to their successes.

To approach life from a totally unrealistic point of view is to go through life with blindfolds on. Imagine doing that for just a second... Now, do you think that you could hit your target quite easily?

google the definition of realistic

Remember as kids playing "Pin the tail on the donkey" or hitting the "Piñata", how many failed attempts you had and even a few bumps and bruises in the end.  Now, imagine having a plan and a clear vision of the donkey or the piñata... Do you think you would have had as any failed attempts? I don't think quite as many.  Would it be safe to say you would know exactly how far or how high the target is and make the appropriate arrangements and adjustments to hit it right on the first try!

Well, here is what realistic people do: They study their target and then go after it with the surety that they will, in fact, hit their goal.  All the guesswork has now been eliminated and they have created a clear and concise systemized roadmap or blueprint for achieving their outcome.  They have used other people's experiences and past failures to make things even better.  They took a realistic approach to their successes.

This is not to say that being realistic doesn't have its downside.  And here again, I am taking a realistic point of view to this article.  You see, realistic people tend to look at the pros and cons of everything. They are the ones who are usually taking a dual perspective approach to life—not a Debbie-Downer approach as most people are led to believe—but an open, broad-minded view.

But I digressed.  The downside to being realistic is that it can lead to anxiety.  But don't let that fool you.  Anxiety is a good thing, provided that you don't allow it to control you. What I mean by this is that anxiety is not always the monster we make it out to be.  It is the body's adrenaline telling us to prepare for something new (and exciting); or to warn us to cover our bases, if there is a possible attack.

Researchers have found time and time again that realistic people have far more "accurate judgment" that prevents them from taking an "unwarranted illusion" of things in general and provides a sense of responsibility and accountability.

Researchers have also found that realistic people tend to "get better grades in school, on an average, than their less grounded peers."  It is probably because they didn't "delude" themselves into thinking they would do well without studying or working hard, says Sophia Chou, organizational psychology researcher.

It's a given, being unrealistic can work for the optimistic enthusiasts but will often leave them hanging on a limb or twisted in some sort of inopportune situation; leaving them overextended in most cases.  These are people who find success by fluke without even knowing themselves how they got there.  If you truly want to be successful, I urge you to take a realistic look at your goals.  Yes, go ahead and dream big! But do put a realistic plan in place to achieve it.

The bottom line is, whether you consider yourself realistic or optimistic, you can still achieve our goals with a clear vision and a solid set of action plans. And that to me is being realistic—simply put, being realistic means to put a plan in place.

Until next time,
AggieStrong
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Andrene Gregory is a life coach with certification in LifeSkills training and Personality Dimensions. She helps empower adults to live a strength-based life, regain their confidence and find the courage to get through life's challenging situations. Her unique approach to getting desired results includes personality assessment, self-knowledge, goal setting, and action planning.

Andrene provides one-on-one coaching and group workshops. Find out more at www.aggiestrongulc.com.