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Email ThisGoals. So important in life. Without them, our life is without direction. Without purpose.They are a powerful motivator. They’re there to keep us focused. To help us believe and achieve.
But what happens when your goal never seems real? What happens when you’re unable to effectively visualize your goal? What happens when your goal, no matter how dedicated and passionate you are about it, no longer sends you the energy you need?
My Life Long Battle
I have many dreams. Many goals. Many aspirations. But my ability to achieve them is hindered in my lack of ability to visualise them.
My next major goal in life is to take a year out and travel around Australia. I have my travel visa. I have the financial means. I have the freedom. And I have a passion for travel that sends shakes down my spine each time I talk about it.
But I don’t have a sense of reality.
Until I walk through the airport security check point, leaving behind all family, friends and my business, my goal of traveling in Australia for 12 months will never feel real. And so, I’ll spend countless hours searching Expedia, watching videos, viewing photos, watching TV travel programs and reading blogs of those people living my dream, until I eventually find the energy being sent from my goal to help me complete the necessary tasks to get me there. But it’ll be gone by tomorrow, and once again I’ll have to spend the day repeating the search for that vivid image and the energy it brings with it.
I can’t jump on a plane tomorrow. I have clients to complete work for before I leave. That is, in fact, the only thing stopping me from jumping on a plane tomorrow. Five pieces of work for five customers.
My inability to see my goal. My inability to see myself sat on a Gold Coast beach at sunset prevents me from simply getting the work completed. I get distracted. I get overwhelmed with the passion for my goal. And as such, I get no further to achieving that goal.
I’m feeling the need for smaller goals to bring about focus. To set goals just a few days ahead.
“Finish John’s Web site by Thursday.”
“Finish Katie’s search engine optimization work by Monday.”
Life goals are fantastic, but it is often very difficult to picture yourself in your dream. You can believe in your ability to achieve it. You can be passionate about it. But painting the picture of you on the beach at sunset is far more difficult than you may imagine.
Focus on smaller goals with smaller time frames, and you will ultimately reach your destination of dream.
Do you find yourself struggling to complete a task, even though you know that is the only way you can achieve your goal? How do you make sure you achieve your goals? How do you keep focus? Share your story in the comments.
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Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Where you at and where you want to go?
Where you at and where you want to go? This question may sound like an easy query to every one of us while travelling from point A to point B; however it’s a very critical question for an individual seeking livelihood. If someone can answer this question right at all time he or she will have no problem whatsoever during his career journey. Today career journey is not an one end drive. A person can steer his or her career vehicle onto different directions based on one’s professional and personal desire. However it is always important for anyone to find out point A or starting point for his career. For most of us it’s right after high school. We get really confused and lost when we get exposed to vast choice of occupations right off high school. It’s a tendency of ours to become cynical to choose a definite career track right after high school and start college to get required knowledge, skills and credentials for that career. Unfortunately most of us end up either choosing a wrong career track or spending few years wandering from one school to another school to find the right path for us. There are numerous reasons for this. If you are a high school student, do you aware of all flourishing occupation exist in our country? Are we looking for a profession for more financial security or more of what fit to our individual characteristics? Are we inclined to our circle of influence like friends and family while choosing right college or trade school for us? Do we follow the present vibe or influenced by the media? Are we taking shortcut to reach point B? Or are we afraid of failure, unknown fear of higher learning and investment associated with it? Or are we just following the footsteps of more familiar road to lead an everyday life? Do you feel that you are not capable of higher learning because you have no high school diploma? There are literally hundreds of questions we can ask ourselves to find out if we are ready for our career expedition. Like every other journey it is very important to prepare ourselves to start, to know where you at right now, to know your point A. Once you can identify your current situation, then only you can start asking yourself where your first stop should be, In other words, where is your point B? And how to get there timely and securely.
Hi Jamie,
Good, honest post.
You mentioned not having a sense of reality. Here’s what I think - reality isn’t really “real”. It’s just a perception. In time, and some effort and cookies, you can make reality to be anything you want.
I use a different metric altogether - value.
Ultimately, what your goal ends up achieving must have real value… to you or someone else.
http://www.leapwalking.com/2008/07/17/what-you-enjoy-most-has-value/
Perhaps you can try asking yourself what you really want in life by looking at what you really really love. The more detail you can add into the description, the better you will be at determining that value.
From that you have your goals.
Have you read “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho? You remind me of one of its characters - the crystal merchant who wanted to visit Mecca for the longest time.
To quote him: “Because it’s the thought of Mecca that keeps me alive. That’s what helps me face these days that are all the same, these mute crystals on the shelves, and the lunch and dinner at that same horrible cafe. I’m afraid that of my dream is realized, I’ll have no reason to go on living.”