Why goals?

Some of my earliest memories are thoughts about setting goals.  Earning money to buy something I wanted, performing well in sports, or making better grades were all goals I had as a kid.  The goals became more involved as I grew older, and I often didn’t accomplish them.  That didn’t stop me from setting more audacious and unrealistic goals—the possibility of what could be usually overpowered my perspective on what was realistic.  Over time, I learned that most goals weren’t out of the realm of possibility, given the proper understanding of why it was essential and what sacrifices were needed for accomplishment.  Instead of focusing on what I wanted to achieve, I spent more time figuring out what was required to progress along the way.  The experience became the focus, and the journey toward the goal held the reward.

“Some people don’t have goals.”

Not true. Everyone has something inside their brain that they want to pursue.  It may sound silly to express because we harbor doubts about our ability to succeed, but the thought and vision exist.  In a broader sense, most daily tasks could be described as goals, but I’m referring to something more profound.  An idea that moves us outside our comfort zone and toward a more evolved version of ourselves.  Small changes build the foundation for more significant change.  That’s why understanding why setting goals and striving to achieve them is so vital for our personal development.  It’s an essential aspect of existence and a responsibility to pursue.

How often have you considered why you want to accomplish any specific goal?  Finding your reason or reasons behind the goal is often more important than the goal itself.

Goals are a method for focusing on what is essential and then figuring out what is needed for accomplishment.  When I discovered Joseph Campbell, I understood that each goal was its own “Call to Adventure.”  We envision something, an action, talent, or experience, that we want but don’t currently have.  Something unique about this vision pulls us in a new direction.  When that vision is in harmony with our strengths, beliefs, and values, it’s almost impossible to ignore.  That’s why it’s critical to understand what it takes to develop and accomplish these goals. 

“Evolving is life’s greatest accomplishment and its greatest reward.”- Ray Dalio.

Goals help us do that.  Some may not rise to the level of a call to adventure, but I would hesitate to diminish the power of even the most minor goal.  The first step in a new direction opens us up to new experiences and challenges our currently held values and emotions.  Navigating this new landscape may require a new set of skills and beliefs.  The critical first step is understanding why a particular goal is important to you.

Goals provide us with a direction and purpose for a specific action or task.  They provide us with clarity about what is important.  The goals we set reflect who we currently are and want to become.  Worthy goals require sacrificing who we are for the person we want to be because, without suffering, there is no growth. With clarity, we can plan for and acknowledge the sacrifices and obstacles ahead.  The same barriers that prevented us from accomplishing previously set goals.  Planning for the known better prepares us for the unknown.

Goal setting spawns other future goals.  When we accomplish our goals, over even fall a bit short, we still gain experience to know what we can do and what we need to change to move forward.  This builds new thoughts and ideas on what’s possible and, in turn, creates new goals.  Goal setting is a learning activity that continues to build on itself over time.  You either achieve your goal, learn what you’re capable of, reassess, and start anew.

Completed goals inspire others.  The world is filled with people who have accomplished extraordinary things.  These aren’t anomalies or people with unique abilities.  They envisioned a compelling future, took consistent action, filtered out distractions, overcame obstacles, enlisted allies, and maintained focus until they reached their destination.  All human beings share similar emotions, and the perspective and meaning we attach to our experiences change how we view the world.  Another person's success is often the motivation we need to challenge our own deeply held beliefs to achieve something worthwhile.  We, in turn, may become an inspiration to others around us in the process.

Goals provide a feeling of accomplishment and reinforce our belief in ourselves.  Big and audacious goals have built-in smaller goals.  If you’re interested in running a marathon, you must commit to running 4 or 5 days a week.  Each training day is another smaller goal based on mileage, time, or both.  Day by day, and week by week, you’re consistently moving toward the larger goal while building momentum with the daily completion of your workouts.

The right goals force us out of our comfort zones.  The right balance of challenge versus ability allows us to experience an array of emotions we would not otherwise feel.  The proper balance of physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual suffering can be beneficial with proper awareness.  If we’re in control and have influence over the experience that is creating the suffering, we can act to move past the discomfort and experience something more meaningful.  Doing so takes courage to face the thoughts, feelings, and doubts that hold us back.

It’s a method for organizing our time.  It’s crucial to make efficient and productive use of our time.  Committing to a goal requires discipline and a conviction to do what needs to be done.  We must ingrain new habits and break old patterns.  This is obtained through purposeful practice, experiencing success, and learning from the mistakes made along the way.  We must commit to the process and see it through, no matter the cost.

Goals help us clarify what we don’t want.  When competing values conflict, we sometimes default to a less-than-ideal compromise.  We sometimes set goals that support one value while conflicting with another—for example, sacrificing time with family to spend more time at work.  Sustained value conflicts create suffering that forces us to reassess our priorities and remove what isn’t serving our needs.

Setting and achieving goals is an essential part of being human.  It’s a responsibility we have for our personal growth and evolution.  I encourage you to set your own audacious and inspiring goals and look forward to the journey that proceeds.