The only Problem with Goals

We hear people telling us all of the time that the one thing we need to establish within our lives are goals.  Levels within our lives that we would like to achieve in order that we feel satisfied with life at the end of our term or successful.  We call it a legacy or something that we can look back upon in our golden years to show that the many days we existed here upon this earth was indeed fruitful and not a waste.  We tell ourselves this in order to feel better about the times we fail to act or fail at fulfill.  Now while I must admit, goals are a good thing to have, I do agree that goals are for the reasons previously stated.  My own personal take on a goal is that it can measure your seriousness about accomplishing the mission you have assigned to yourself and not some idea that others have saddled you with but like all things there is always a good and a bad.

The only bad thing that I can come up with when it comes to setting goals is not that some are so lofty that we could have never accomplished them in the first place or that non-accomplishment of that goal means failure or defeat.  The only thing bad about goals is what happens once they are accomplished.  What I mean by that is, let’s take a look at the level of desire, determination and passion used to reach that goal.  Watch another’s facial and physical posture as they talk about or go about reaching their goals.  To say that the level of passion could be contagious would be an understatement.  You can motivate the laziest of person if your desire to accomplish that goal and the passion you put into it is high enough.  Your every waking moment is dedicated to getting there and at that time your life truly does have a purpose.

But after reaching your goal and achieving that mark, that passion diminishes and now you search for another purpose for your life.  It is doing this time that so many doubts and fears can enter.  You begin to forget about that enormous goal you’ve just reached and about the joy and happiness you brought to so many through your pursuit of that goal.  You forgot about the trials and tribulations you endured to reach that goal and how much you have grown as a person.  You forget how much strength and courage it took to achieve while some may have told you that what you were attempting wasn’t possible.  You forget that what you just finished was a race many cannot run.  All this is forgotten because now that it is over, you no longer find focus.

Look at the examples of history for proof.  The founders of this nation has been credited with establishing a constitution so they spent days and some nights going over what they pictured would be the backbone of a nation.  Each day was possibly exciting and they looked forward to the many hours of debate but once the document was done, signatures were affixed and it was ratified, there was nothing left to do.  Shortly after that a civil war broke out pitting brother against brother.   Look at those who fight so hard to reach a certain level in the company only after getting there is their lives now empty and the method used to get there comes crashing down around them.  How about when politicians promise almost anything to get that office and even promise things that they know they will never be able to deliver.  They shake your hand, kiss your baby and look you dead in the eyes to get your vote but as soon as the cameras are off, they are sworn in and the doors are closed, they forget all about what they said or did to get behind that door.

So what is the answer to this dilemma, there really isn’t one nor does there need to be.  Many times to solve a problem are only to know that it is there.  Knowing that once a goal is accomplished the time between that goal and the next one could create other issues is all you need to never allow those other issues to diminish the work you did prior.