Trees, Goals, Success & The Rest of That Stuff !
I’m not a big fan of goals. Those imaginary manufactured ‘limits’ we all place on ourselves then pat ourselves on the back when they are ‘achieved’. Numerical or measurable goals are good for a lot of people, mainly young people just starting out in life. They help a person develop a good work ethic. As you get older and realize more about life your goals will change. So what is a goal?
There are at least two ways to approach this question. We know that kicking a ball through the goal posts is a ‘goal’. In that case the word stands for a specific measured physical task. Once completed, the person or team is rewarded. When you set measurable goals, you can strive to achieve that measure or unit. There is a significant ‘line’ that is crossed when the goal is achieved. Some examples of this would be:
- I want to graduate with a 4.0 GPA
- I want to be a corporate vice president in 3 years.
- I want to earn $250,000 a year my 4th year out of college
- I want a new car next year
- I want a million visitors to my blog by December
These are what I see ‘goals’ to be, measurable limits placed on a person with a reward for achieving that goal. The sort of person who would set those goals….that is not me. After all, I think one’s reward in life is the journey, not the destination. Enjoy and feel passionate about each thing you do, where it takes you then will be your own ‘reward’. It won’t be measured by and amount or a title that is randomly assigned by the culture in which you live.
Its good to have these type of goals in life when you start out or if you are a very analytical person and feel achieving your tangible goal is important. If you are a very passionate or creative person, I feel that goals are not as important. The ‘goals’ you set for yourself may not be measurable or well defined. Some examples of this may be:
- I will work hard to put out the best product I can
- I will test myself each day searching for new and innovative ways to grow
- I will help others throughout the year and be kind to those I meet
- I will challenge those people who work with me
Surely testing and feeling you have meet these ‘goals’ is as rewarding as some random dollar figure. If you are passionate about your life, believe in your work and do what makes you happy….you will surpass any preset limits or goals you could have ever imagined. Here are some people with no predetermined ‘goals’ or rewards for achieving ’something’ in life but people who were extremely passionate about their work and life:
- Pablo Picasso
- Ludwig van Beethoven
- Ernest Hemingway
- Mahatma Gandhi
- Nelson Mandela
I may be wrong, but I don’t believe any of these people set out with specific ‘goals’ in mind to achieve what they are most well known for…they worked from there inner strength, trusting and believing in their focus. They loved what they did and were very passionate about their life and work.
I don’t believe it was the goal of anyone listed to own the biggest house on the block.
Its not my belief that ’success’ or ‘failure’ even exists beyond your own mind…I think there are only outcomes. Once you ensure you can never fail, you will never quit. If you set out to accomplish a task or ‘goal’ you don’t succeed or fail, you produce an outcome. Consequently, I try to set goals which seem unachievable or unreachable and see how far my passion may take me. I don’t look at the forest or beyond, I pass one tree at a time and I’m happy about attempting to pass the next one.
My goals would be:
- Try to improve on my work each day
- Strive to create a better product than the last
- Work smart and be open to all new idea or criticisms
- Be grateful for the small things achieved each day
- Dream big
You may think these are not tangible goals and there is no reward if you achieve them but the work and the daily journey is its own reward. Don’t pace yourself based on anyone else’s idea of success, learn from them and chart your own course in life and you will achieve your goals each day.
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