Setting Goals

There is a lot of talk about goals going on at the moment, and so there should be. Goals make the world go round. If we don't set any goals we are directionless and at the mercy of external circumstances which dictate and change our life course like the wind getting us nowhere fast.  

What happens though when we measure our total success, our value, and self worth on achieving goals?

1. We can become obsessed with achieving, completing and on the outcome of goals.
We may set goals and go out of our way to achieve them, sometimes at any cost. As an example someone who becomes obsessed with completing fitness goals may rush ahead to do a longer distance run, or to lift a heavier weight before their body is ready, and cause themselves to get injured. Or they may become blinkered to other areas in their life and neglect them such as time with family and friends and even sleep!

2. We will get hurt and low when we miss or don't achieve a goal.
If we put all of our focus, energy, self worth, value into achieving a goal and something completely out of our control happens and prevents us completing our goal... we are going to feel pretty bad.  

3. We won't set any more awesome goals!
If we put a high value and emphasis on goal completion and have experienced the pain of not achieving a set goal in the past, we may be scared to set any goals in the future. Or perhaps we may only set ourselves small very safe, uninspiring goals, that we can achieve with ease and that won't contribute to our growth as a person.

So what do we do?!

We need to change our perception of goals. When we set a goal instead of putting all the focus on the end point, the finish line, we should pay attention to the journey.

The journey is where life is. When we set goals, if they are in line with our values, interests and are taking us closer to the person we want to be (emphasis on the word taking). The experiences, events and learning along the way should be our focus.

The journey can teach us and give us far more than the completion of the goal ever could, and to think we would have missed it if we were only looking at the finish line.

So go! Set awesome goals, but pay attention to the journey, that's the real goal, that's where life is, right now.