I love clear goals.
Clear goals make it possible to measure progress, to know when we have achieved what we want. Clarity allows us to focus on a goal, to know when we are getting closer or when we are getting distracted.
Clear goals help us know when we need to focus our efforts, or when we can celebrate an accomplishment.
I am a focused person. Clear goals feed my tendency to fixate on the specific details of what we hope to do, do it, then move on to the next goal. Plan the work, then work the plan.
I become the person who achieves the goals. Achieving a goal feels like hitting the bullseye in the center of a target.
After all, we reward people for achieving their goals.
Though I love clear goals, I am starting to realize that achieving a goal may not be the most important aspect of goals or planning. Goals may not be ends in themselves; they may point the way to something more.
Accomplishing a goal often gives me the signal that we have arrived at our destination. It is time to stop working on this goal, stop trying to hit this target. On to the next one.
Life is not the series of accomplishments I thought it was. Focusing on one goal, then the next, can create a false sense of achievement.
Clear goals are helpful because they point the way beyond themselves. Clear goals are steps in the direction we want to go. Life is not about celebrating the goals we accomplish; it is celebrating the path we take and learning the lessons that help us continue.
Focusing beyond the goal helps us follow our path.
Where are your goals leading you?
What do your goals tell you about you?
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