Goals Give Us Direction and Purpose

I don’t get in my car, turn on the ignition, start driving, and simply hope I’ll end up someplace worthwhile. I decide where I want to go—or at least where I’d approximately like to end up—and steer the car in that general direction.

Life and athletics works much the same way.

Sometimes, for any number of reasons, we don’t arrive where we originally intended. We may change our minds. Circumstances beyond our control may interfere. The timing may shift, the route may change, or we may find ourselves doing something completely different from what we had planned.

That’s okay.

Often, we end up someplace better—or someplace that is simply better for us. That is where acceptance, trust and letting go come in. Setting a goal doesn’t mean I have to control every detail of the journey. It simply means I’m not driving aimlessly through life.

Goals also change the way we look at problems. Instead of worrying endlessly about how to solve them, we can begin turning them into goals. Start asking myself what I want, what I need, and what direction I can take from here.

Goals can be fun. They generate interest and enthusiasm. They make life more engaging—and sometimes genuinely exciting.

When we allow ourselves to acknowledge what we desire, choose a meaningful goal, and commit to working toward it, something shifts within us. We gain energy, enthusiasm, focus, and mental zip. That energy often grows as we take action.

A goal gives us something to move toward. It can interrupt boredom, restore a sense of possibility, and support our emotional and physical well-being. People often discover strength they didn’t know they had simply by selecting a goal and giving themselves fully to the process of pursuing it.

There is something powerful—even magical—about setting a goal and writing it down. It sets psychological, emotional, and physical action into motion. We begin noticing opportunities we might otherwise have overlooked. We become more aware of what we need to learn, change, or do.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about a deeply rooted goal is how it helps keep us on course toward our destination. When we surrender to a goal and fully accept it as something we intend to pursue, it begins working its way into the subconscious mind.

Our conscious mind can become distracted, uncertain, confused, or indecisive. But once a goal has been absorbed deeply enough, our thoughts and instincts begin cooperating with it. We recognize choices that move us closer to what we want. Our responses become more natural, and we often take the right action without having to debate every step.

With the conscious and subconscious mind working together, there is less internal hesitation. The conscious mind becomes clearer and freer to think, plan, adjust, and make sound decisions. The goal becomes an internal compass, quietly helping us stay on course even when the road changes.

Omit the Shoulds

We already have enough “shoulds” controlling our lives. We don’t need to build our goals around them, too.

Maybe one of our goals can be to eliminate 70 percent of our shoulds—the expectations, obligations, and rules that have little to do with what we truly want or need.

Don’t limit yourself. Go for all of it.

Write down everything you want and need. Include every problem you want resolved. Don’t worry about whether you are asking for too much. I believe we improve our chances of receiving it when we turn it into a goal and begin moving toward it.

Put It on Paper

There is extraordinary power in writing down our goals instead of storing them loosely in our minds.

Putting them on paper helps us worry less because we no longer have to carry and organize everything in our heads. It gives our desires structure and focus. It helps us direct our attention and energy while keeping us connected to what matters.

The goals don’t have to be written neatly, perfectly, or in any particular words. There is no special formula. Simply commit them to paper—all of them.

Then bring your attention back to the next 24 hours.

Do what seems fitting and appropriate today. Take care of what comes your way and genuinely needs to be done. Give your energy and enthusiasm to the actions that are in front of you.

You don’t have to accomplish the entire goal today. You only have to do your part within this 24-hour framework, to the best of your ability.

If it’s time to do something, go for it. If it’s time for something to happen, allow it to happen. Trust yourself. Trust the direction you have chosen. Set new goals, revisit old ones, and make adjustments whenever needed.

Then things begin to happen.

Not always according to our schedule. Not always in the exact way we imagined. But we are moving. We have direction. We are participating in our own lives while remaining open to the possibility that the road may lead somewhere even better than we planned.

Marvelous things can come our way when we give our desires direction, do our part each day, and leave room for trust, faith, acceptance, and surprise.

Give it a try