The power of goals to design our ideal life!
What does goal setting have to do with happiness?
By achieving xyz will we attain happiness? Will happiness will magically come to us at some point in the future? Will someone come along and give us happiness? – None of this is true and you can never be happy this way, however living a purposeful and joyful life can be increased through correct goal setting – The starting place for this is the same technique that allows us to be happy now.
But isn’t goal setting hard work? Does it even work?
Everything we achieve each day is down to our natural goal setting ability.
We don’t normally go through the process of writing these goals down but we use the correct techniques.
Lets say we desire to go out for the day! It’s sunny, we’re feeling good and we’re going to enjoy doing something fun.
So we set an intention: we desire to go out! – Step #1 (this is our destination)
We brainstorm ways of getting there! – Step #2 (i.e. where will we go?, how will we get? there, what do we take?)
We weigh up our different options – Step #3 (we make a list of what to do – this may be purely internal or it may be on paper)
We focus only on each part as it comes up – Step #4 (maybe we have to make a packed lunch, maybe we have to fill up the car with fuel)
WE TAKE ACTION! – This is why our bigger goals never materialise and it is due to a missing ingredient……
We have to know this is a goal we can achieve!
The reason that we believe (read here – our ego convinces us) that goal setting doesn’t work is when it comes to this crucial ingredient of KNOWING WE CAN ACHIEVE IT! – our mind convinces us that because of one of our many faults, we could never achieve that!
What happens is we are ‘hoping’ that this time it will be different – all the time having our mind tell us that no it won’t! The mind loves to prove itself correct, we fail in our goal and the ego is safe for another day, or week, or year – as each time this happens we entrench the belief further that goal setting doesn’t work – or even worse – it doesn’t work for us!
How can we escape this?………..
We become enlightened – and all I mean by this is that we shine the light of observation upon the ego and it’s tricks.
We set small and medium sized goals – we envision them happening, we focus on knowing that we can achieve our goal, when the ego speaks up then we recognise it, we ask it why we can’t achieve xyz, we listen to the answer without judgement and then we set out some steps we might take to accomplish xyz.
Then we FOCUS only on the next step – by doing this we will not be overwhelmed asking ourselves all the time “how am I going to achieve this?”
We will be enjoying the journey instead…..
Doesn’t that sound like it may be fun?
Can we choose to see it as fun?
Ask yourself – “why does my ego think this isn’t fun?”
This part of the process must be accompanied by some thinking time and self reflection – only in your own mind can change start to occur.
After all, we are designing our ideal life aren’t we – We’ve all daydreamed about it at odd times in our life – well now we are doing the same but on purpose instead!
We are creating in ourselves a lifelong habit of living on purpose and stretching our goal setting/achieving muscles to move onto our big goals.
What is the hidden purpose behind every goal?
“I am a millionaire!” – why do you desire this?
Is it because of the title? How will it make you feel to be called a millionaire? Is it so you can then give up your 9-5 job or the shift work you currently have to do? How will that make you feel? Is it so you can then buy all the things you think you want? How will that make you feel? Is it so you can treat your friends and family, you can give more to charity – how will all these things make you feel?
“I travel all over the world!” – why do you desire this?
Because then every day will be amazing? – how does it make you feel? So you can meet new people – how does that make you feel? So you can broaden your horizons – how does that make you feel?
By questioning all of your goals and seeing where it leads to, you will discover that the hidden purpose behind every goal is happiness! – There will be different steps inbetween but ultimately it tracks back to happiness. Explore all the reasons behind your goals (you don’t have to do it all at one time) feel the inspiration that comes from knowing why you are setting your goals.
By working on our goals in this way we are setting out on a journey of discovery – it was through this process that I uncovered my truly big life goals, and that I started to know that I would achieve them.
This is my goal, my desire and my design for you!
Jump to the next article in this series
On your journey may you have happy travels.
Let me know your experiences with goal setting in the comments below.
Photo: Happiness, by donireewalker cc by 2.0
Architect of your Mind 