Setting goals is an important part of being human. Most people understand the importance of goals in living but are too harsh in their demands upon themselves. They feel that their goals are too insignificant and that their achievements will hardly be counted for anything if they are not able to end racial prejudice or world poverty.
This is a mistake. While we might not be the president of a country, making decisions of global importance; or a Rock star, working on a new musical that millions may see; we are individuals also, we too are made in GOD’s image, and endowed with a wonderful body; we too have a mind, feelings, needs, aspirations. We too mean something, if we mean something to ourselves.
“The trouble with not having a goal is that you simply can spend your life running up and down the field and never score”
~ Bill Copeland
Often, we’ve trouble getting started with our goals, or we discover that achieving them is going to take more time and energy than we thought it would, and we start to lose our motivation. But we have to understand that living without having goals or plans to reach them, is like a ship that is set to sail with no destination.
“One of the secrets of life is to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks.” ~ Jack Penn
- If you are a teenager, there is no shortage of goals for you. Mastering a skill, exploring an alien subject material, hitting a baseball, making new friends, learning a popular dance. And within the span of these broad goals, you can pinpoint daily goals that are satisfying for you.
- If you are in your twenties, thirties, or forties, your border goals may change in terms of specifics, but they are nonetheless potentially satisfying. You will be involved in enlarging your vocational scope, raising a family, managing money skilfully, and learning hobbies, from day to day, you may aim at achievements within the framework of those larger goals, or spontaneously which are fun. You should think in terms of daily goals too, not just life goals.
- If you are older, cooking a good meal for yourself and your spouse is a fine goal; it may be commonplace, but it is productive. You give him or her satisfaction with your labor and the more creatively you work with your ingredients, the more pleasure you give him (or her) and yourself.
- Painting a picture may give many people days of enjoyment, even weeks. Mixing the paints, organizing your materials, brushing on your colors, shading, and shaping for subtle effects. It is not Rembrandt? That is not the point. Are you putting the best you have into your picture? Would you like to frame it and hang it in your living room? It is more important to you than the next flight into outer space. And it should be.
You must not block yourself off from your goals, and you must move every day, and feel a sense of direction toward a goal every day, no matter how small that goal might be. You keep moving in the streams of things, doing the best you can. And if you have no goal, you keep moving anyway, and a goal will catch up with you. Your sense of direction is forward.
The reality is that regardless of how smart we may be, we cannot predict the future. Things are moving so fast and we’re so interconnected that it is impossible to predict where we’ll end up five years from now. We just don’t know. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, because we will not be basing our choice of direction based on a forecast that’s likely to be wrong. By recognizing and accepting the unpredictable nature of life, we can stop over-thinking and over-analyzing and start living more in the present moment. This helps us to open our minds up to new areas of possibilities and conquer the limitations which we have imposed on ourselves. You’ll be making your choice on what’s really important to you, right here and right now, not tomorrow.
GOD didn’t put you on this earth to languish in misery; He gave you the success impulses which you have to use them. If you have problems, if you meet obstacles, then you are just like most people. Most of us are familiar with the life of Hellen Keller, who overcame staggering physical handicaps to rise to her incredible achievements. You may not know that Florence Nightingale, the famed nurse, was a confirmed hypochondriac whose services of mercy involved convincing herself first that she was not dying.
The biggest difference between successful people and unsuccessful isn’t intelligence or opportunity or resources. It’s the belief that they can make their goals happen. We all deal with vulnerability, uncertainty, and failure, but we have to trust that if we move forward anyway, then we will figure it out.
“When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt.” ~ Honore de BalzacTweet
If you learn to believe in yourself and do what you want to do, your accomplishments may amaze you. Remember that by moving forward and taking small steps each and every day, putting aside over-thinking, and realizing that you have everything you need deep within, you can find the right direction in your life. And while it may not be the direction you expected, it will work out just fine.
Now set goals and make them happen, and when you reach your goals take time to enjoy them and thank those that helped you. Think about what you enjoyed and learned along the way. Life is a learning process! Keep your spirit up and be the best of yourself.