Ever heard this saying – garbage in, garbage out? It originates with computer programming, and anyone who deals with anything computer-related can tell you it’s VERY true. One tiny piece of punctuation in the wrong place can render an entire program or website nonfunctional, and conversely, it’s very satisfying to find that one little thing you’ve done wrong and have everything magically work. Ta-dahhh!!!

We – humans – are a lot like that. We are very complex (although we act quite simple at times – ! – ) and it takes a web of beliefs and actions to accomplish what we desire. As we learn and progress towards a goal we’ve set, we often come across layers of emotion which act as obstacles. We may not have realized we even has such thoughts or feelings buried inside, and we must explore and dissolve them in order to move past them.

With the pursuit of a goal, like the building of a computer program or website, there are specific requirements for success.There is a certain skillset and there are very specific tasks which need to be undertaken to create the desired end result. We also need patience and persistence, without which we may give up at the first sign of frustration or boredom. We may even need the help of someone who knows a little more about the subject than we do, to overcome any hurdles we come across. Not only can we then complete our project, but we also learn more so that next time we can do an even better job because our knowledge base has expanded.

It is the same with life. When we want to achieve something, there are things we need – people, skills, advice, mindset – necessary for the desired end to be met. Sometimes we have most of the pieces in place, and we can draw on the wisdom of someone who has been there – an expert. Sometimes there is just one little thing missing, and we think we are far from the goal we’ve been pursuing but in fact we are very, very close. A small but key piece of advice or a change in perspective can often be all it takes – the thing that was missing – for us to suddenly have the light bulb go on; to finally get where we wanted to be.

If you have been striving for something and feeling frustration in not ‘getting there,’ perhaps it’s time for something to change. If the saying ‘garbage in, garbage out’ has any truth to it, it could be that you are only missing one small bit of the combination of things it requires to achieve your goal. Begin exploring and changing things one by one – your mindset, a habit, the reasons for wanting what you want, the people you are drawing on for advice – and see if you can’t create that magic moment when everything suddenly falls into place. As another popular saying goes, ‘You can’t continue doing what you’ve always done and expect to get different results.’