“I don’t want to limit myself.”
“It’s one of these two things.”
“I’m just not sure what I want right now.”
I think I’ve said each of these statements about 10,000 times in my life… and 10,000 times, I followed the statement with a smack to the forehead and a mumbled, “I’m an idiot!”
These statements are not goal statements. Only a goal is a goal. You either have one or you don’t.
Good, bad, big, small, red, blue, good, evil, SMART, stupid… it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you have one. One. One goal. And that you have it BEFORE you start.
Goals made in hindsight are called rationalizations.
Loose, hedged statements of desire are precursors to future rationalizations. And multiple goals? Multiple goals that align are fine. Multiple goals that conflict are a waste of time and energy.
I believe that when we set a goal for ourselves, we achieve a state that is almost divine. When we say “I will…” and mean it, we act as creators. Remember the story of creation? “God said, ‘Let there be light.’” Well, “I will…” carries echoes of “Let there be…”
Goals embody the creative spirit. The goal comes first.
At the same time, setting up goals and knocking them down is not checking things off a task list. Goals aren’t things you have to do, goals are things you decide to do. Goals are the result of attention, focus, and will. Goals are not chores or Honey-Do’s. Goals are statements of will. Goals carry power.
Do you harness that power in your day-to-day life?
Not as much as you’d like, maybe? Get on that! The drive to create is so natural, it’s hard-wired into every living thing. What makes you stand apart in the animal kingdom is that you have the power to choose what you want to create—unlike the robin who is compelled to build a nest, you get to make things for fun.
So do it. Use that power.
Pick a goal. Go for it. Achieve it. It doesn’t matter if your goal is to secure a $10 million deal or to get out of the house today without forgetting your wallet… have a goal.
Then, make it happen.
