The Power of Goal Setting
Goal setting is a tool to use to have more fun in life.
Life is perfect as it is. It is perfectly itself, whole and
complete, lacking nothing.
That may seem like a funny way to begin an essay on goal
setting. "If my life is fine the way it is," you may think, "why
bother with setting goals?"
This question betrays a rather desperate attitude toward goal
setting, don't you think? It assumes that setting goals is
something you do to escape a maze, as if you're a mouse who
won't get fed until you figure your way out of the maze.
Naturally, when you attach that much tension and anxiety to it,
goal setting sounds like a real drag.
When you start from the realization that life is already
perfect, goal setting becomes something else entirely. Our minds
are problem-solving machines; so much so that, even when there
are no problems, our minds have a tendency to create them. That
would be fine, except that some of us create problems of such
drama and intensity; we literally scare ourselves to death with
stress-related illnesses.
It's as if we put ourselves on a thrill ride at an amusement
park - remote control in hand. We get sick and then forget how
to stop the ride. We even forget that we are the only ones that
can stop it! But I digress...
Goal setting is not drudgery. It's a better way to keep life
interesting; better than creating the drama we otherwise create.
Setting and meeting goals is a way to enjoy the adrenaline rush
of going into new territory, the thrill of risk, without making
ourselves sick and miserable.
Goal setting is even more than healthy amusement, though. It's a
way to practice loving our lives and ourselves. We make a
commitment, and we keep that commitment, no matter what, and no
matter how long it takes.
An author I know was writing her first book, and she faced
doubts about whether she'd ever find a publisher for it. Jim,
who'd met plenty of creative goals, told her something that put
those doubts to rest and re-focused her efforts. He said,
"Whenever I'm working on something, the important thing is not
to abandon myself during the process. It's not about how anyone
else responds to it." The writer realized that she was the one
to determine whether her book got published, even if she had to
print copies of her manuscript for her closest friends. Her job
was to make it the best book it could be. Of course, she found a
wonderful publisher.
So how do you determine what goals to set for yourself? Should
you build something, plan a trip, or begin a family? Only you
can determine that. It's helpful to spend some time each day
just with yourself, even if it's just a few minutes. When you
take a break from being inundated with other people's goals, you
can hear the still small voice within that reveals your deepest
longings.
If you're like a lot of people, there's one particular goal
you've been avoiding all of your life. It doesn't matter why.
Just know this: The power to accomplish it awaits only your
commitment. If you try to substitute other goals, those goals
you think someone else would approve of, you won't have access
to all of your power. But if you set the goal you really want,
you will find the power to work miracles.