Wednesday, February 09, 2005

The Problem With Goals

The problem with most "goals" is that they're not connected to what we really want from life. And much of the time we think we're too busy to find out what we want. If a genie were to slip out of a bottle and ask us our heart's desire, we might be stumped for an answer. Most of us know what we should want, and we may have memories of what we used to want. We also have convincing reasons for why we cannot pursue what we want right now. Hidden in our souls, though, are the dreams that express our life's purpose and the intentions that lie at our core. . . .

If you're not excited about your goals in life, it might be that they are not goals. They could be tasks that should or ought to be done. Some common tasks that people confuse with goals are:

1) Getting rid of credit card debt.
2) Creating a will or revocable living trust.
3) Opening a retirement account.
4) Hiring a money manager.
5) Fixing the roofing, plumbing, or heating at home.
6) Filing forms or documents on time.
7) Buying health insurance.

These are not goals. They are tasks that will clear the way for you to play for your goals. They just don't have the same energy as that trip to the Caribbean, the black belt in karate, the pilot's license, the picture you want to paint, or that gift you've been wanting to give your mom and dad. Not even close. Notice how different tasks feel from the goals I just listed. In your heart you'll recognize the call that true goals sound — even if your brain still thinks goals have to be tough or unappealing to be worthwhile.

— Maria Nemeth, Ph.D., The Energy of Money

— Posted by Michael @ 8:18 AM








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