There's a Hole in My Sidewalk by Portia Nelson, Book Review

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Some Thoughts on Goals and Achievement

Have you ever read There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk? While going through Flipboard to find interesting content to share on social media, I came across the Lifehack article, If You Want To Achieve Every Goal You Set, You Should Know This Magic Loop, by Michelle Owens. Like other years, I’ve set some very ambitious goals, but this year, I got a jump start on goal achievement in December.

How can I ensure that I achieve all my goals this year. What can I do differently? I know that me publicizing my goals do not work for me. Each day, I look at my vision board to remind me of what I want, and I also review my goals to keep them front and center. In the article mentioned a few moments ago, the author reminds us to look at our goals, daily, weekly, and monthly, and to also plan for success. Is this something that you do?

When I read the article, I was reminded of the poem, Autobiography in Five Short Chapters by Portia Nelson, found in There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk. The poem is very poignant, because it tells us if we expect different results, we cannot keep on doing the same things the same way.

UPDATE: First Published in November 2013

What is There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk About?

When you read There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk: The Romance of Self-Discovery by Portia Nelson, you will feel a connection to the author because she is speaking words that you could have written.

Although the book is 133 pages in length, you can read it in about 30 minutes because there aren’t many words on each page. They are in a large font size, and the book is small in size. Despite this, the book packs a lot of punch with its thoughtful prose and numerous nuggets of wisdom.

As you are reading the book, you are becoming undone, because you stripping off your mask, and all the layers you are wearing to insulate yourself from the world.

There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk: The Romance of Self-Discovery

I was reminded of There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk by Portia Nelson because it’s that time of year again when many are thinking about what they’d like to accomplish in a new year. But before you start your planning, you have to look at what you have accomplished this year.

Many will be asking the question, “How did I get here?” And you may be asking the question because you are surprised, it wasn’t a part of your plan – not your intended destination. You could have veered off your path because of several small errors in judgment. You ask yourself, “Why do I keep on making the same mistakes over and over again? You would think that I would have learned by now.”

That’s okay, because we make mistakes every day – and sometimes we make the same mistake over and over again. How do you prevent it from happening again? How do you break this potentially dangerous cycle? In There is a Hole in My Sidewalk by Portia Nelson, there is a delightful poem that I absolutely love because it’s so poignant – Autobiography in Five Short Chapters.

The poem resonates because it may take forever to finally get it right. A few days ago, I talked about slowing down and doing things right. I had to force myself because I saw a pattern in myself, and I wanted to break the cycle of making a particular mistake over and over again. It’s not always easy, but it’s doable.

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters by Portia Nelson

(1920 – 2001)

Chapter 1

I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost …. I am helpless.
It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter 2

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don’t see it.
I fall in again.
I can’t believe I am in the same place.
But it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter 3

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in … it’s a habit… but,
my eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

Chapter 4

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

Chapter 5

I walk down another street.

Final Thoughts on There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk

What’s your reaction to the poem? The poem, Autobiography in Five Short Chapters, is the type that you have on your office wall to inspire you.

The book, There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk: The Romance of Self-Discovery by Portia Nelson, where you will find the poem, is one that you’ll read a couple of times a year to check in with yourself to see how you are doing. The subtitle of the book is “the romance of self-discovery,” and rightly so. As you start progress through 2018, this is the perfect time for the romance of self-discovery.